


A Valkyrie's Game

by HackedTig



Series: A Valkyrie's Game Line [1]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Age Difference, Angst, Awkward Dates, Awkward Flirting, Birthday Fluff, Canon-Typical Violence, Developing Relationship, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Romance, F/F, Fights, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Insomnia, Major Character Injury, Mutual Pining, New Year's Resolutions, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Promises, Slow Burn, Workplace Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-04
Updated: 2018-06-23
Packaged: 2019-01-29 07:12:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 76,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12625854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HackedTig/pseuds/HackedTig
Summary: Angela Ziegler is by no means an easy person to get along with. Neither is Hana Song. With their similarly reclusive and stubborn attitudes, their time at Overwatch seems to start as a hell on Earth. Angela learns quickly that if she is going to collaborate properly with Hana, She’s going to have to play a game of her own. A game with high difficulty levels, a range of enemies and allies, and a better ending than either of them could dream of. HanaMercy Slow Burn(Completed, No Revisions - 6/23/2018)





	1. Level 1 - Recall

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to A Valkyrie's Game, a Hanamercy Slow Burn fic with lots of potential for our two favorite Overwatch ladies. Its (hopefully) gonna be a lovely slow burn, with plenty of love later on and a whole lot of bitterness and salt to start. If I get slow on updating, no need to worry, as i have the Hanamercy discord to back me up and nudge me into continuation. I'll warn ya'll though if I get snagged on some IRL events. I don't plan on stopping this train easily, though. 
> 
> Without further ado, Level 1~

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angela meets Hana for the first time, and is rather unimpressed with the new soldier's attitude.

Angela pinched the bridge of her nose for what seemed to be the millionth time that evening. Her eyes were getting sore under the seemingly endless amount of paperwork, _finally_ sinking to zero after a week of being back in her old office. 

Overwatch was recalled quite some time ago. A month, Angela would have guessed. Winston left details for everyone to where and when to gather in an email after he sent the initial recall. If Angela herself was not a pacifist, she would have strangled him for it. Overwatch, as much good as the organization stood for, Angela knew that it had its dark secrets and awful tendencies… especially with Blackwatch on the side taking the more heated operations. The truth of which made Angela shiver to this day. Moira included. The Irish woman was not only a stain on Angela’s personal history as a colleague, but on her medical research as well. They collaborated before, and Moira claimed the work to be her own in her published paper. It set the nanite development back by years for the good doctor, much to her frustration. 

Just the idea of all the clouded things that could return, and the _violence_ , it made Angela shutter. Just because her job was to repair damage, did not mean she wanted to see it. 

With all of this work finally tucked away, Angela could rest her eyes and pretend for a moment she was not reinstated as an Overwatch physician. She stretched her arms above her head, popping a few locked joints and stretching her stiff muscles. Her real age may have been 37, but her body acted as if it was 70 or maybe it was just because she had not sat in a chair for this long in years. Regardless, it was quite unpleasant, and the doctor’s muscles practically begged for a hot shower to loosen them up. 

Just as Angela was about to get up and lock up for the night, she heard the doorway to the Medical Bay open, followed by Winston’s voice getting louder. 

“-You’ll come here if there’s any sort of injury, Doctor Ziegler is available for assistance.” 

Angela could practically feel the groan settle in her chest as she heard not only the fellow scientist’s, ahem, footsteps, but those of another person with him. 

She pulled her ponytail tighter to make it look like less of a mess to whomever may be with her comrade. When they rounded the corner to where Angela’s primary desk was, 

_”Mein Gott… is that a child? She looks like a child. Winston, what in the hell were you thinking?!”_

A pink and white letterman jacket, logos and sponsors adorning a sleeve. With her hands stuffed in her pockets; a bored expression on her face accentuated by the snap of her bubblegum as she popped it, Angela felt as if this girl was the epitome of self superiority, believing she was far too good for this old place. Which, she may have been. Perhaps this was another Mei-Ling Zhou case of cryo-stasis?

By the time Angela had finished observing the bystander with Winston and getting through her thoughts, the scientist cleared his throat to gather her attention. “It’s nice to see you still here, Angela. Busy day?” 

“You could say that.” Angela responded in kind, and gave a curt nod. “Who might this be?” She asked, letting her eyes fall on a pair of much younger ones. There was something behind them though. Something that not even Angela could recognize.

The young woman then gave a smirk after realizing Angela was staring at her. Before Winston could introduce her, she shifted her weight to a new body language that absolutely flaunted off the air of having her head shoved up her own ass. “D.Va. Elite MEKA soldier. Winston invited me _Personally~_ This was one party I didn’t want to miss.” 

Angela was not at all surprised by the statement, and resisted the urge to cross her arms. “Angela Ziegler. Pleasure, really.” Her tone was perhaps the most deadpan thing Winston had ever heard, evidently, same for the so called “D.Va”. She too, took up a face towards Angela’s attitude. 

Feeling no need to get into a feud, Winston slowly backed off. “I’ll leave you both to your work. You know how to get back to your quarters, right, Miss Song?” 

“Yeah.” The MEKA pilot responded, letting her gum pop extra loud this time, just to see the flinch in the doctor’s face. It brought a satisfied smile to her own. 

With that confirmation, he departed, and left Angela and the pilot alone in the Medical Bay, tense silence hanging in the air. Once again, another pop of bubblegum sent a satisfied smirk on her face, and Angela’s into a twitching fit of displeasure. “Papers, Miss Song.” Angela demanded, outstretching her hand. By request, each soldier was to bring a copy of their medical history, and if not, Angela was to do a physical check up to ensure they were fit for battle. 

It seemed that this soldier, although annoyed, was prepared, and from her back pocket, she pulled out a thick envelope, slapping it into the doctor’s hand rather aggressively. “Yeah, yeah. I brought them.” She grumbled in a huff, and decided to take the seat across from Angela’s desk to watch her go over them. 

A cocked eyebrow in an annoyed acceptance to her challenge, Angela sat back down, reopening her documents of her computer files. She opened up the folded papers to read every little bit of information that seemed important. “Hana Song; 19 years old, huh?” The information struck the doctor, not necessarily as a surprise, but unpleasantly welcomed. 

“Got a problem with that?” The pilot, Hana asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“No. Simply unamused.” Angela responded. 

“It’s not like it’s the youngest age to have ever joined Overwatch.” Hana said as a suddenly got a cocky smirk over her face. “Wasn’t the youngest like, 17 or something, Doc?” 

“In its first installment, yes.” Angela responded, although her tone was filled to the brim with annoyance. Already, this seeming child was getting on Angela’s nerves. She hoped it was just her exterior showing, and not who she truly was. If it was the case, that would be just one more unpleasant patient Angela had to deal with.

“So what’s the problem then?” Hana asked her, crossing her legs and her arms, reclining comfortably in the chair across the way. 

“There is none.” 

“Doesn’t sound like the truth, Doc.” 

“Doctor Ziegler.” 

“Whatever.” 

Angela let her hands stop and she glanced at Hana through the corner of her eye. “Your manners aren’t very good for a soldier.” She commented, her accent becoming thicker with her annoyance. 

“Whoever said they had to be?” Hana smiled, enjoying this little game. It was beginning to get on the good doctor’s nerves. 

“I don’t know what you’ve heard about Overwatch, Miss Song, but we do actual work in this establishment and we treat one another as equals. We do not undermine each other, nor do we snap back with ‘whatever’ as a response. If not through the rest of this base, then certainly not in my office.” Angela scolded, her voice stern and dead in tone. 

Despite this, it just made Hana’s smirk grow a little bigger, the mech pilot certainly pleased with herself. “Yeah? Must be a bunch of tight asses if you ask me. Must be why the big gorilla guy is leading things. He seemed pretty chill. You need to take the stick out of your ass.” 

That was it. 

“You’re dismissed from my office, Miss Song.” Angela said, pounding the enter key rather roughly at the end of her words, and her stone cold expression snapped to Hana’s mildly amused one. Of course, this was a _game_ to her. 

Another pop. “So you’re kicking me out?” Hana quipped, and Angela’s glare became cold. 

“Yes. Now get out of my office. Or I will forcibly remove you.” The doctor replied cooly, and Hana stood, hand’s raised in what appeared to be defeat, if not for that goddamn smirk on her face. Angela wanted to smack the crap out of her, simply clenching her fists white to the knuckle instead.

“Alright, you win doc. Have fun with your organizing. I’m off to do the _real_ work.” The Pilot quipped, and the doctor could feel her face growing red in anger. 

“Out, Miss Song.” Angela said in finalization, and the much smaller soldier finally left. Angela leaned over her desk, rubbing her temples and sighing in frustration, muttering a few German curses under her breath, just in case someone else were to catch her losing her head over a child. 

_”Child. Amusing. She was just digging under your skin. Regardless… she’s the other kind of person that causes your bad habits, Ziegler.”_ Angela scolded her own self, and lifted her head to look back at the records she was imputing. Nineteen. She did have a point, Angela earned her spot not long after graduating at the age of 17 with her doctorate. Still… Regardless of how cocky and overconfident and absolutely frustrating that girl was, Angela knew better than to simply accept her fate of being here. 

Ah, well… There was not anything she could do now but make sure that child did not die on her watch. She still had parents to return to. 

… Right? 

\--- ---

On her walk back, she finally let her facade drop. Hana sighed deeply while she buried her hands in her pockets while her footsteps echoed in the empty, metal corridors. “Maybe i was a little too bitchy” She grumbled under her breath, feeling almost a slight tinge of remorse in her chest. The doctor did not need that display, but… It was Hana’s first line of defense. Pulled out to any and every new person she met, although those typically were fanboys and girls who adored her confidence rush.

Doctor Ziegler was not one of those people. 

Pulling out the fresh ID card that allowed entrance to her rooms, Hana opened the door and slid in. It was just bigger than her old room with MEKA, and she did not have to share it with anyone. Her consoles were packed up in one suitcase, her clothes in another, but all Hana wanted to do was plant herself face first into that bed. 

That’s exactly what she did, followed by letting out a groan of her own frustrations. “God damn it, Hana Song.” came from the floppy pillow, mostly muffled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit short in comparison to what I have planned ahead for the series. I have a notebook with a plot line and everything that I'm developing as you read. It should keep me on track, and if not, Well, at least I tried!
> 
> I'm always welcome to suggestion and feedback in any way, especially on long stories like this will be. I hope you guys enjoy the journey ahead. Expect more frequent updates during weekends.
> 
> Have a lovely day, y'all. <3


	2. Level 2 - Hurt and Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angela gets revenge on Hana's severe cocky attitude, and reconciles with her later in the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter two~ Mere hours after posting. What can I say, I was excited to write this? Enjoy~

By now, Angela would figure she would be used to this lifestyle again. Able to wake up in a crisp, clean facility and get straight to work without discomfort. Enjoy the smiles of her patients as they walked out of the door, and feel satisfied with her own work. 

Well, she was severely wrong. 

Not only was she still not acclimated, but that damn Song child was everywhere. As it was expected, the numbers of members in comparison to before the downfall, were relatively few enough that Angela would see her passing the halls or when she went to observe other people during their training time, incase there was a simple injury in the first few days where she could save them the trouble of getting to her office for now. Still, every time they exchanged glances, Hana just had that satisfied, cocky smirk on her face, and always had a piece of gum in her mouth to pop. Angela hoped at least, that this stubborn little soldier had sugar free gum with how often she popped it in her face. Angela’s expertise was not in dental research after all. 

A few weeks after she initially walked in the Gibraltar base as if she owned the place, Angela finally had the satisfaction of returning all of those shit-eating smirks right back to Hana’s face. 

Propped up on a medical table, her combat training pants rolled up to her knee, Hana sat with a hand holding her face while she hunched over herself and grumbled. During training, Hana slid wrong over an obstacle, and tore quite a gash into her left calf, her arm holding up her head was propped on her right knee. Angela was filing out the paperwork on her stool to report the injury to her files, and she had the proudest smirk on her face all throughout. Hana saw it numerous times, and just as Angela scribbled over the last note for the document, the pilot growled in annoyance. “Would you stop with that stupid look already?” 

Angela chuckled a little as she brought her materials over, snapping on rubber gloves as she made eye contact. “Don’t tell me the high and mighty “D.Va” can’t take a bit of her own treatment?” Angela quipped, grabbing some disinfectant to clean up Hana’s wounds after getting the blood off. 

Hana simply groaned once more. “Shut up. It’s not like I do that constantly to make a statement or whatever.” she grumbled, readjusting herself so that she was now leaning back on both of her palms. “I do it to piss you off.” 

“Hm. Then I wonder if you can figure out why I’m doing it?” Angela asked her, generously cleaning up the blood rather gently for her attitude. 

The soldier scoffed, rolling her eyes while letting them wander down to the doctor’s hands, making sure she did not intentionally make her wound worse or, something stupid like that. It hurt like hell, but Hana kept her face pretty stone solid. The noise from her throat caused Angela to glance up for a moment, ensuring that the noise was just one of annoyance and not an intake of breath from pain. She knew how to read faces well, so the tactical stare down on Hana’s face amused her. 

“Well, Miss Song. You’re lucky it didn’t get through to your muscle.” Angela complimented as she picked up her stitching equipment to sew the skin back up into place. Hana pulled her leg a bit away. “Can’t you just use that stupid staff thing of yours?” She asked. 

“My Caduceus staff, Miss Song, is for when I am out on the field with you during an actual mission. That technology is reserved for emergent injuries. You just scratched your leg.” The Swiss woman said quite matter-of-factly, as if it was common knowledge. 

“Excuse me, _scratched??_ If this was a scratch, I wouldn’t need stitches!” Hana’s voice rose in pitch, and Angela cocked an eyebrow up, more than amused with her patient’s reactions. 

“Do you… not like stitches?” Angela asked her, pulling the thread out to where Hana could see it, and the soldier turned her head, a blush starting to form. 

“They’re fine. They’re badass.” Hana responded, and Angela had the smallest, cocky grin on her face. 

She pulled Hana’s leg up to better view and gave it a small pat, as if she was attempting to reassure Hana. In reality, that was the exact opposite of what the good doctor was trying to do. “Well then, You’ll love how many you’re getting.” She responded, and started up. She tugged just a little harder than she needed to, and felt satisfaction in the way Hana flinched. Of course, Angela knew she was not hurting Hana, not really. But it was severely amusing to watch her jump with every tug. At the last stitch, she gave out a stiff noise from the back of her throat, that just seemed to make her face glow a little brighter in the bright lights of the Medical Bay. 

Satisfied with the little ‘lesson’ she taught, Angela snipped the last string, and placed those materials in a pile to be sterilized later. She finished up by wrapping up Hana’s injured calf with plenty of gauze, and pads to ensure if there was ripping or extra bleeding, It would not get all over the place. 

“Alright, Miss Song. I want you back in here tomorrow morning before your training starts so I can change that bandage. Don’t shower with it, you’ll drench it and your wound, and it will just take longer to heal.” Angela instructed, taking off her rubber gloves while Hana looked at her leg in a grimace, and had a small growl. 

“Whatever you say, Doc.” She muttered under her breath. She heard Angela’s clothes shift, and she looked back at the doctor, who had quite the disappointed glare about her. A small glance to her leg, and Hana sighed in exasperation, and figured for Angela’s tolerance thus far, she deserved something. “Thank you, _Doctor Ziegler._ ” 

Angela nodded in approval. “You’re welcome, Miss Song.” 

Hana rolled her eyes and hopped off the table. She hissed a bit in pain at the sting her leg caused, and Angela rolled back incase she decided to collapse. “Careful. That leg is going to be weak. I would prefer you didn’t train tomorrow morning” 

The young soldier rolled her eyes yet again. “I’m not a kid. I can deal with a bit of a limp for a day or two.” 

The doctor pinched the bridge of her nose. For the slightest moment, she had a conflict of interest. Remembering the look that Hana had earlier, she decided on it. If Hana was going to pretend to be a strong little soldier, Angela was going to let her. “Just go, Miss Song.” 

There was no other protest, and Hana made her way out of the Medical Bay, and _hopefully_ out of Angela’s hair for the day. Day, being the keyword to that thought.

\--- --- 

Fuck, could she _ever_ sleep in this place!?

Hana’s body was shaking and in a jolt. First, it takes her hours to fall asleep, no help in thanks to Bitch Doctor Angela Ziegler, who forgot to give her painkillers for her calf. Of course, knowing her own stupid self, Hana would have refused in the first place. Maybe the initial neglect to offer the medication was a lesson in its own right. Everything Angela seemed to do was a damn lesson to her. Hana could not exactly disagree with the notion, she herself was still trying to work out that painful uneasiness that made her exterior flare in boosted cocky confidence. 

Her pain was only a minor asset to keeping her awake. Hana had always had trouble sleeping. Not only that, but since she joined MEKA… Well, nightmares were persistent, a constant struggle that Hana had to deal with, and she _did not_ like it. Her insomnia and hellish nightmares, reflecting a previous battle on messy sand, made for a rough night, and something told Hana that she was not going to get to sleep tonight. But she was not in the mood to lay down and game either. When she was injured, she prefered to work out her injury. 

Glancing at her phone, it stung her sore eyes with the brightness, but she noticed the time at least before shutting it back off. _”02:57. Wonderful time to be awake.”_ Her thoughts were satire, but she stuffed her phone in the pocket of her gym shorts she wore for the night. Her leg was a bit numb to her movements now, so she stood and gave it some pressure. Testing her weight, Hana swiped her ID from her desk, sliding it into her other pocket, before slipping from her room. 

The night made the base chill, but Hana did not seem to mind. At least not yet. Her body was still hot from her flailing in the sheets of her nightmare, so the cool atmosphere was almost completely welcomed. 

She mapped out the base pretty well, at least where she needed to go. The air inside seemed stale, so a brush with the chill night would probably do Hana some good. At least so she figured. She guided herself to the floor level, and stepped outside. Just as she anticipated, it was colder, and she ended up hugging her arms closer to herself to keep herself warm. She did not bring herself a jacket, after all. Who had time for that anyway? Well… she could have grabbed it from the chair at least… 

“I didn’t expect to see you awake at this hour. I would figure someone like you would be dead asleep” 

The voice made Hana jump, despite it’s soft tone. She turned behind her, and with her eyes still adjusting to the moonlight, she saw the faint glow of something red, and the familiar shape of a particular hairstyle. 

“Doc? What are you doing up out here?” Hana asked, turning around to at least face her. 

Angela hummed, propped against the wall as she was snuggled up warmer in her turtleneck. Okay, Hana really wished she grabbed her jacket. “I can’t sleep sometimes.” Angela responded, her voice still softer than how Hana usually heard it. 

“You too, then?” She decided to reconcile, and she could barely see Angela nod. 

“Insomnia is a lovely thing...” Angela sighed, and it appeared that what she had in her hand was a lit cigarette. 

Hana rolled her eyes, but, she still kept her focus on Angela. She wanted to say something, or ask Angela questions but, she could not quite find her tongue at this point. She never really saw Angela off-duty before. It was as if there was an entirely different person before her at that moment. Deciding to turn away, Hana did so, and found herself sitting on cold concrete, which felt oddly soothing against her still injured leg. It was then she found some words to say. “I usually just start to play video games whenever it bothers me so bad.” Hana responded finally, and she heard Angela tap the butt of the cigarette to flick off ash. 

“Is that so?” The doctor inquired, and Hana nodded, even though Angela could not see her. 

A hum came next. “Perhaps you should get officially diagnosed, and get medication to help you sleep.” Angela offered.

Hana turned. “How did you know-” 

“It’s not in your medical files, Miss Song.” 

“... Oh. Right.” 

Silence followed that, both of them seemingly deep in thought, until Hana turned herself around a bit more. “Why don’t you have meds for it, Doc?” 

Angela did not offer an answer for several seconds, instead flicking her lit cigarette again. “I’ve never wanted to be stuck on pills myself.” She replied, and Hana accepted that answer. “I trust you’re the same?” 

“No. Well, yeah... But, also just never bothered.” Hana responded, and Angela gave a nod to that. 

It was odd, talking in this way. As if their sudden aggressive behavior and rivalry was turned off when she was not Pro Soldier Hana Song and Doctor Angela Ziegler. Instead, just tired Hana, and equally as tired Angela. Even so, something bothered Hana. 

“Isn’t smoking bad for your health or something?” She finally brought that nagging little thought, and she saw Angela’s hand drop, indicated by the glow going down. 

“That’s none of your concern, Miss Song.” Angela told her, the slightest bite to her tone of voice.

Hana frowned, but she did not comment on it. “You’re supposed to be like, the centerstone of health and wellness. Why would you smoke? It seems contradictory.” She pressed. 

Angela ignored her, for a few minutes at least, until the cigarette ran down to the filter, and she stuffed it back in the pack that she had on her. “Why do you play those violent video games all the time?” 

The answer fell between them easily. Stress relief. It helped them relax and get them down to where they could rest easier. At least, that was what it was supposed to be. Hana was not quite sure how effective smoking would be at that, but decided to not argue the point, her and Angela both were not in the mood to fight. “Point taken. To each their own, Doctor Z.” 

Angela nodded, and picked herself up from the wall. “Come inside. It’s too cold for you to be sitting out here in shorts and a tank top like that. You’ll catch a cold. I’m not your mother but I’m not going to let everyone else get sick because of your inadequate clothing” 

That was a more familiar Doctor Ziegler Hana knew a little better. The soft smile on her face could not be helped, as she rose from the cold concrete back to the door that Angela had already opened. She allowed the wounded soldier to walk in first, before following right after. “Believe it or not, I actually was sleeping before I came out here” Hana decided to say, a little bit before her brain could tell her mouth to stop. 

“I believe it, Miss Song. Soldiers like you are a little more predictable than you think.” Angela responded, her hands in the pockets of her work pants, and Hana could see the pack of cigarettes in one of her back ones. “I figured something woke you up.” 

Both of their eyes gravitated to Hana’s bandaged leg, and the gamer scratched the back of her neck. “Er, Right.” She responded, and Angela noded. “Care for medication before you go back to bed?” She asked.

“No thanks, I…” Hana slowed her speech and stopped, glancing once more at her injured leg. Just because the pain was dull, does not mean it was not there. Perhaps if it went away, it would ease the rest of her troubles as well. “Actually, sure.” 

A bemused expression adorned Angela’s face, but she simply nodded in affirmation that she heard Hana’s choice. “Alright. Here then.” 

“Huh?” Hana was a bit confused, until Angela placed a small bottle of medication in her hands, and in a neat, cursive handwriting, it had Hanas name, what the medication was, and the dosage written on a replaceable label. “Return that to me when you’ve finished it. We can discuss on if you need a refill from there.” Angela said, and she turned to look at Hana’s still stunned expression. 

She looked between the pills and Angela’s face before getting a bit defensive again. “What do you take me for, a weakling? What, were you carrying these around all day incase you ran into me?” Hana asked, her tone quite apprehensive in defense, which she quickly regretted raising. 

“Actually, I was considering hand delivering them out of kindness.” That slight bite in her tone was back, and almost immediately, Hana prefered the Angela that was outside a whole lot better than the bitter, snappy Doctor Ziegler. Although, Hana only had herself to blame for that. “But I’m glad you found me instead, Miss Song. Now I actually know you can be reasonable and are capable of an actual conversation.” The slight smile that adorned Angela’s face made Hana’s burn with embarrassment, but she also broke out in a grin too. 

“Only when I feel like it.” Hana made a little ‘pfff’ noise as she tossed her bangs to the side of her face, getting them out of her eyes before she made her way up the stairs, bidding no other words of parting to Angela besides that. 

Watching her jog up the stairs, Angela shook her head mildly, and let her face fall back to a forlorn look, patting her back pocket. _”I wonder… Did she have a nightmare? She wouldn’t admit it if she did.”_ Angela thought, and sighed. She had only hoped the gamer would have been kind enough to bid her thanks, or maybe goodnight. Something to show she had a few more manners then that. Ah well, work for another day. Angela made her own leave to her room, hoping to find some rest for the night. 

\--- --- ---

Flopping back onto her bed with a tired sigh, Hana shut her eyes for a moment, lightly groaning. She was no closer to finding rest than she was when she woke up after her rather horrific nightmare. She looked at the bottle of pills in her hand, but just barely. She considered her choices for only a small moment before placing them on the nightstand beside her, incase she needed them through the night, along with her phone and ID card. Curling up in bed afterwards, Hana sighed as she pulled the blankets tightly, hoping to alleviate her now cold body. She still was not up to playing any games, which left laying in bed until the sun rose, and it was time to check in to Angela for her wound. 

Satisfied with her night, Hana let out a deep breath. Maybe she was getting accustomed to this place after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that was chapter two! I had 1 and 2 thought of simultaneously, and wanted to leave you guys with a bit more than just 2K to read for now. Hopefully, this should help do~. No promises on a chapter three in the morning, but I'll be working at it. Suggestions are greatly appreciated. <3 Hope y'all enjoyed!


	3. Level 3 - Show Your Support

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hana gets a little more counseling than she bargained for, thanks to some concern on Angela's part.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boop! A chapter 3. Show your support! Cute lil name, huh? There's more characters that get introduced through it, but nothing too major. One of them might recur more often than the other. Anyhow, enjoy!

Despite getting no sleep, Hana had relatively little trouble pulling herself out of bed when her phone’s alarm went off, telling her it was time to get ready for exercise for the day. There was not necessarily any excitement as she slipped on a pair of socks to avoid the chill on the floors of the base, but she did know she had a slight smile. The talk with Angela merely hours before had given Hana a different form of confidence to boost her ego. 

This time, the walk was much more pleasant. Despite it still being cold, the positivity from the night before let Hana cary herself just a bit lighter down the hallway to the Medical Bay, where she was sure Angela already was. _”What time does her shift even start?”_ The gamer wondered. 

It was not left up for debate for long, as the moment Hana stepped through the Med Bay doors there was the very distinct smell of fresh black coffee that wafted over from Angela’s desk. “Bingo.” Hana muttered as she walked over into view, the sight did not fail to amuse her. 

Angela was clearly still not completely conscious, Evident by her hair not even being in her springy ponytail and the coffee mug was still full. Her eyes were open at least, and she glanced up once she heard the snicker from the young soldier, who now stood closer and covering her mouth to keep her laughs hidden. “Is something funny to you, Miss Song?” Angela asked her, her voice still even carrying that little croak of someone who just woke up. 

“Nothin at all, Doc.” Hana responded, relaxing against the wall to get some pressure off of her injured leg, and had a bit of a know-it-all smile stretch over her features. “You didn’t get to sleep when you got to bed, did you?” She inquired, and Angela made a slight huff. 

“It’s none of your concern.” Angela quipped almost right off the bat, and it made Hana’s smile, and confidence to the night before, waiver slightly. 

“... But thank you.” 

That was better.

“Ready to check my leg, Doctor Z? Or should I let you get some coffee in first?” Hana asked, and Angela raised her eyebrows, as if she had almost forgotten it was there on her desk. A slight pink flush fell over her cheeks as she picked it up with her right hand, typing her login credentials into the computer with the other. The sight amused Hana, but she kept her giggles contained this time out of patient respect.

The slight clack on the table matched the hit with the enter key, and Angela arched her back a bit to stretch out any further kinks she may have still had. “Hop up on the table then. I’ll be out in a second.” 

“Gotcha.” Hana responded, and she made her way back to the same exam table she was on yesterday getting the inconvinent injury in the first place. She was a little more patient this time as she waited for Angela to walk over, sitting back and swinging her good leg to some tempo she was not keeping well. Angela took only a few moments as she rummaged through supplies of her office and the Medical Bay itself, eventually grabbing a stool and sliding over to check and inspect Hana’s leg. 

“Alright. Lets see how you took care of it last night.” The Doctor said, starting to unwrap her work from the previous day. As she was busy with her task, Hana kept a little glance over the rest of the room. She had not taken observance before, but now was just as good of a time as any. It kept focus off of her leg after all. She was doing well to ignore most of it, but something was nagging her otherwise. Looking at the tired doctor in front of her, Hana felt a whine bubble up in her chest. She forced it back down, clearing her throat in the process, and tried to get a good look at Angela’s face. 

“I’m sorry, Doctor Ziegler.” 

 

Angela froze, and looked up to the young soldier’s glance. “Pardon?” 

“For being an ass.” Hana continued, and she shyly averted her gaze.This was quite unnatural the submission of her pride, but felt the need to continue. “You know, how I introduced myself and all, pressing your buttons and crap like that. I’m sorry.” 

The small smile Angela had on her face reminded Hana of a rather proud parent, and it was infectious. “Thank you, Miss Song. I appreciate it, and your apology is accepted.” She responded, and Hana’s face lit up brighter afterwards.

It had lifted a weight from both of their chests. 

“Truce?” Hana inquired, sticking out her hand as if asking for a handshake. Angela considered only for a slight moment, before nodding. “Truce.” 

Generously shaking the young soldier’s hand despite her own gloved one, Angela continued her simple task of changing bandages and placing ointment. It only took a moment more before generously tapping Hana’s re-wrapped leg. Hana herself glanced at it, evidently having been too lost in her thoughts before to notice how quickly Angela worked. “Alright, Miss Song. You’re clear for today. I would tell you not to go off on your usual training habits, but knowing spunky soldiers like you, you’re going to do it anyway.” Angela said, removing her dirty gloves. 

Hana scoffed at such a thing. “Me? Breaking rules? Have a little more faith in me than that, Doctor Z.” She smiled, and earned herself quite the unimpressed glance from Angela. 

“Just because you apologized does not mean I have the utmost faith in you to follow my direction. You’re still a ch… Young soldier” Angela corrected, and Hana tilted her head to the side. The correction was… unexpected, but welcomed. 

“I’ll stay off my feet today. Promise.” Hana responded to her, the playful and cocky tones from it completely absent. Angela gave a nod to that, and pushed her materials away. The look on her face told Hana something seemed to be nagging at her too. 

Angela discarded the ‘infected’ materials, and turned back to Hana, allowing that little nag to pop up. “Would you be interested in taking up support for your insomnia, Hana? Talking to someone back home?” She asked, and the soldier perked up. 

“No” Hana responded, a quick snap in her voice. “I… No. This is between you and me Doc.” 

Despite the tone, Angela took it generously. She understood a soldier’s desire to keep their dispositions to themselves, but… “It can help you in the long run Miss Song. I advise at least talking to me about it. Sometimes it can help, and you may find you are not in such unfamiliar company.” Angela said.

The gamer crossed her arms at that. “I already know you have insomnia too.” 

“That’s not the only thing I was referring to.” Angela said. 

Silence fell between them, and Hana lowered her head for a moment, refusing to look at Angela’s face. “... Am I free to go or not?” The tone was rougher than she intended

Angela sighed. She expected that response. “Yes, I suppose. Stay out of training.” Angela felt the need to repeat herself, and the young soldier made some noise in response, hopping off the table and stuffing her hands into the pockets of her shorts. She quickly left after that, leaving no other words between them. The Swiss doctor once again pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing in minor annoyance. All soldiers were stubborn like that at the beginning, and it was Hana’s choice to share with her or not. Even so, Angela did not wish her to suffer alone. 

She retreated back to her desk for the time being,grabbing her still mostly warm mug and sipping it while she opened the files to add to Hana’s injury report from yesterday. Her office remained in still silence for close to an hour before she heard the doors open. A slightly familiar noise of uncareful footsteps reached her ears, and she perked up to see a pair come around the corner. 

“Genji!” Angela exclaimed, and stood, making her way around the desk to greet him.

The cybernetic ninja had his mask off, and a smile on his face as he saw the doctor. “Angela, it’s nice to see you again!” He seemed just as excited as the blonde before him. 

A tight embrace warmed Angela’s heart, despite the fact Genji’s body was mostly chill with his plating. “What are you doing here? Surely you aren’t here for Overwatch reformation.” Angela said, suddenly taking a step back to look over her previous patient, mostly to injure his body remained uninjured and in one piece. Through his scarred face, Angela could see the slight blush appear. 

“Well. I did not return for just me, Angela. This is my master, Zenyatta.” He said, and gestured to the omnic monk beside him. 

Angela took observance, and felt a smile paint itself almost permanently on her face. “Ah. You’re the one I’ve heard so much about in his letters” 

A soft chuckle came from whatever voice module Zenyatta had. “I had no idea my student thought so highly of me.” He said and Angela gave him a small nod. 

“If you joining Overwatch wasn’t your only objective, then why are you here?” Angela asked, and Genji’s more relaxed expression appeared. “We wanted to help you. Well, Zenyatta, wanted to help you. We know medical staff is scarce, even more so of the therapeutic kind.” 

It was as if a lightbulb went off in Angela’s head. _”Therapeutic kind, huh?”_

“Genji told me stories of the old Overwatch, before it crumbled.” Zenyatta spoke, and a curt nod came from Angela. “How there was only really you and one other person who did the primary care efforts. I would like to learn and help where I can.” 

Angela brought her hands together as if she herself planned this out ahead of time. “Perfect, then. I have just the person for you to talk to first, if you don’t mind getting started right away.” 

\--- --- ---

Hana sat cross legged as she observed her comrades from the stands. Reinhardt was already busting up training bots with his bare hands, even without his heavy slew of armor. Some of the other starting soldiers they had gathered already seemed disappointed to not get a single tactical hit in before the tank hurled in and destroyed them. She huffed and glared down, desiring to be with them and training. But she promised Angela, and setting their progress back was not something Hana wanted. 

“Something seems to be troubling you.” 

Hana turned in alarm to the omnic behind her. Zenyatta, although lacking a facial expression, seemed to have the body language of someone who was smiling softly, trying to be a nice as possible. 

“What’s it to you?” Hana grumbled, and turned away. She ignored the tranquil feeling this omnic gave as he floated to sit next to her. Hana already felt a little uneasy, but it came as second nature due to her specific line of work. Being trained to destroy a colossal omnic creature, Hana always felt just a slight uneasiness… 

Zenyatta did not quite back off, but he understood the wariness. “My name is Zenyatta.” he decided to open up, and he turned to face Hana, expecting an answer back. 

She glanced up and down his form, mildly amused by the magnetic orbs clinging to his neck, and the fact that he was practically floating. “Hana.” She decided to respond calmly, and gave a small nod to the monk beside her. He lowered, and sat beside her with a hum of electric mechanics slowing. Hana recognized this as some magnetic process that kept Zenyatta afloat. She accepted his presence there, and let him quietly observed as she had. Her uneasy feeling from before never going away, only adding to her discontent. 

“I sense some disquiet in your soul, Hana.” Zenyatta spoke to her calmly, breaking their silence after several minutes. “You did not get much rest last night, did you?” 

“Is it that obvious.” Hana grumbled, her question more like a statement, and the monk beside her tilted his head, but felt the need to continue. 

“Everyone has their trials and tribulations. It comes as a part of life. Even if someone appears to be all together, is just keeping the pieces in a shell. You may find, Hana, that there are many around here with the same problems, only with different roots” He said, and Hana’s eyebrows came up. 

She looked at him, scanning the face plating and the dots scattered among his forehead, trying to find some sort of answer to her unspoken question, or extra meaning behind his words. “... What are you, a psychiatrist?” She asked him. 

A gentle laugh came from him. “No, Hana. I have just traveled far and wide, and met many people. You can learn many things from conversing with others. It is unwise to keep things bottled up constantly.” Zenyatta advised, and the gamer relaxed just a little. There was something about this monk that was just… oddly soothing, and it was not the mechanical whirs from inside his plates that kept him going either. She was still on alert, but felt her back relax some.

Quickly deciding that this conversation was over with, her thoughts disturbed by the monk’s methodology, Hana stood. “I’m going to get changed. I’m still in my pj’s.” Hana stretched, popping a few stiff points in her spine. “Thanks for the talk, I guess.” 

“Embrace tranquility, Hana. Talk to those around you about your troubles, and if you ever need a moment to find peace, you can come talk to me.” Zenyatta told her. 

She looked down, consumed by guilt for just a moment, before perking up. Now was a better time than ever. “Thanks, Zen. I’ll think about it.” She flashed him a smile, and she started along her way. If omnics could smile, Zenyatta certainly would be by now. 

\--- --- ---

Closing up shop, Angela heard the Medical Bay doors open one more time, and she had to suppress a frustrated groan. “Doctor Z?” Hana’s voice was the culprit, and Angela picked herself up from her desk, having just shut her computer down. Well at least it was not a wounded soldier; she hoped Hana did not wind up getting herself another injury, anyway.

“Miss Song? It’s 8 PM. Shouldn’t you be indulging whatever mess of a meal the others are cooking?” Angela asked her, picking up her coat and slipping into it. 

Hana’s face peeked around the corner, but she did not look to be in pain. Instead, she looked as if she was a deer caught in headlights for a moment, and Angela straightened up. The young soldier stepped around the corner and attempted to act ‘cool’, but not in any usual way Angela had seen from her before. 

“Not really. But, um… You… You sent that omnic to come talk to me, didn’t you?” Hana asked, and Angela had a small smile on her face. She perhaps felt only slightly bad to have ‘violated’ Hana’s wishes, but she only had her patient’s best interest at heart.

“Yes. Did it help?” She asked. 

Hana looked a little more embarrassed at that, but gave a slight shrug. “It’s not that he _helped_ per se, but. He… gave me some insight. Is he supposed to be working with you from now on or something?” Hana asked, and Angela moved to guide her out so they could talk together. 

“Yes. An old friend of mine brought him to Overwatch to help with complications that may arise. He’s also quiet spiritual, he has a way of soothing people without really doing much but being there” Angela explained, and Hana gave a nod. Clearly, and he had read her like a book too. It was as if she had a diary written on the back of her head that he had just read from, and understood everything about the energetic soldier. Hana did not like it quite that much, but… 

“I appreciate the concern, Doctor Z. But… I meant it when I said I wanted to keep it between us. Patient confidentiality or whatever you call it.” Hana almost sounded as if she wanted to complain, but kept her tone steady. 

“I did not tell him anything explicitly, Miss Song. I only suggested he go have a word with you. Anything he knew, he guessed beforehand.” Angela responded, and the gamer looked down at her feet in minor thought. 

They left the Medical Bay at that point in silence, and climbed the stairs that lead to the rooms together. Hana stopped at the top, and finally noised a concern. “Don’t you ever look after yourself sometimes?” 

The good doctor practically froze in her steps. “Pardon?” She inquired, turning to face the younger soldier behind her. 

“You’re so concerned about getting help for someone like me. You’re clearly the same way. Why don’t you help yourself too?” Hana pressed further. 

A silence loomed between them, and Angela’s gaze lowered to the floor in thought. Hana thought for a moment, that she had severely offended her. It was Angela’s soft gaze with a smile afterwards that… confused the gamer further more than anything. 

“I didn’t become a doctor to save myself, Miss Song. Have a good night.” Angela said gently, and pulled her ID card from her pocket to gain entrance to her room. 

Hana did not say a word, simply watching the Doctor slip into her room. The click from it afterwards, signified that Angela locked it from anyone else attempting to come in via a command to Athena. 

A sigh made Hana want to slide onto the floor and sit there for a while. Great, another botched communication attempt with Angela. Her track record really was something. Instead, she stuffed her hands in the pocket of the combat pants she wore, having slipped into them instead of her gym shorts, and fished out a pack of gum she had tucked in there. _”Kinda like the Doc’s smoking habit. At least mine keeps my teeth clean…”_ Hana figured, popping a piece in her mouth while she trekked down the hallway to find her own room, nowhere near the convenience of being right next to the Medical Bay. 

She almost wanted to take another detour outside to flush her worries with a rush of cold air, but soon decided a cold shower would be better. She glanced at her leg though, knowing that it still needed to be kept dry. _”I’ll just wrap this thing up in plastic wrap or something.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that concludes chapter 3! I've always thought of Zen as someone Hana would get to know and talk to frequently, given they're 'closest' in age. Why Zen and not Lucio? Well, Lucio isn't there yet of course! When the DJ does come around, they'll be helping each other a lot. I don't ship Gency either, but I do support their friendship, which was the best way to slide Zenny in. Isn't that just perfect? 
> 
> Anyhow, I'll get to work right away on Chapter 4, and hopefully it'll get done tonight! I hope you all enjoyed what I have so far, and are willing to stick around for more. Suggestions are always welcome too <3


	4. Level 4 - Minigames

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hana invites Angela to the Recreation Room for some chill games, growing their friendship in the process.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a little shorter than the rest, I tried to keep it mostly fluffy centered. I brought another concept to the end of the chapter that i scrapped from the last one to help meet the 3K standard for myself. Hopefully, Y'all enjoy none the less! 
> 
> Also, I low key have someone helping me out in making the story a bit 'neater' ! Flow better, reduce the clutter of words. All of those lovely things. I'll let you know in notes if I went back and changed the rest. Like for right now, I updated the first 500 words or so in the first chapter! 
> 
> Without further ado, Level 4~

“I believe you are all set, Miss Song.” 

Hana peered downward, looking at her calf. It had been almost a week since she sustained the injury, and it already seemed to be healed. According to Angela, anyway. Stitches and bandages gone and away, Hana hopped off from the table and gave it a good stomp. A smile popped up over her face afterwards as she looked at the good doctor once more. “Thanks, Doctor Z!” 

Angela had a slight smile on her face as well, and she gave Hana a nod. “It’s my job. Thank you for actually following my directions.” She said as she stood from the stool. Hana took a few testing steps without the bandages, and let giggles bubble up her chest. “Feels good as new, Doc.” She complimented. 

The Doctor disposed of her used materials into the proper waste bin, smiling at Hana afterward. “Yes well, I do have quite a bit of experience.” She responded. She got a good look of Hana’s posture, and then bent down to examine her leg just a bit more. “It seems it left a bit of a scar, though… It should fade over time” Angela told her. 

The soldier shrugged and let her arms relax behind her head. “It’s just another cool accessory to an already badass soldier, huh?” She winked. 

“If you say so, Miss Song.” Angela shook her head, attempting to hide the smile on her face as she made her way back to her office. Hana followed, not quite finished with her pestering of the good doctor for the day. 

“Say, Doc.” Hana started off cool, leaning against the wall as Angela took her seat at her desk. “Got any free time soon?” 

“Not necessarily.” Angela responded, already typing in the extra notes to Hana’s medical file. “Although, I’m permitted to leave earlier on a Sunday evening. Why?” 

A cheeky grin told Angela she might not find the answer appealing. “Why don’t you hang out with me later in the Rec Room? Help you destress or something. You don’t seem to have many friends around here, so you look like you could use someone to hang out with.” Hana said, and Angela crossed her arms to begin to protest. 

“For your information, I have plenty of friends.” Angela corrected her. “They actually have work to do around here, unlike you. Besides… I have research to finish and reports to file, I’m busy even when I’m not supposed to be in the Medical Bay.” 

The bitter tone and poor excuse made Hana’s face fall flat. “Come on, Doc. You’ve been here a month and a half, and you haven’t done anything amusing. I never see you leave the base, and you seem to lock yourself up in here during the day. I’m not asking you out on a date to see Spain, just to hang out for a few hours. Don’t tell me you’re tired either, cause I know you can’t sleep as often as I can’t. So, are you gonna take a break with me or not?” Hana inquired, tapping her foot. 

Angela’s face was a bit shocked to say the least. She stiffened her posture and closed her gaping jaw, quickly regaining her composure. “What would you have in mind if I were to take you on this offer, hm?” She rebutted with her own question. 

A smirk covered Hana’s lips. “You know, standard little party games on some old consoles. I wouldn’t make you watch me play Starcraft or anything like that. Just two friends having fun on Nintendo games or something.” 

“No violence?” Angela raised an eyebrow. Hana gave an exaggerated roll of her eyes, as if that was an obvious part of the deal. 

“No violence.” She agreed. 

Angela gave the gamer a small smile in return this time. “I’ll see you in the Rec Room after my shift is over, then.” 

Hana’s face lit up. “Shit- Really Doc? You’ll actually take a night off and relax?” 

“Only for a few hours.” Angela corrected her. “I still have to make sure everything is straight and-” 

“Okay, okay! I get it, work to do before you ‘sleep’. “ Hana raised air quotes. “Fine. Fair enough. Cause after playing with an absolute noob i’ll want to wreck people in _proper_ games.” 

The smirk on the Korean woman’s face just let Angela know this was another tease. She sighed, and let her face fall back to a soft smile. “Like there would be any other endgame, Miss Song. I’ll see you tonight then.” 

Hana gave her a nod, and turned to walk out the door. She took a moment to pause, and turned her head over her shoulder. “Thanks for everything, Doctor Z.” 

With that, Hana left. Angela remained in her office and hefted out a sigh. Well, it was better than Hana being bitter. 

\--- --- ---

It brightened Hana’s day when she realized there were consoles in the Rec Room for everyone to enjoy. The fact that there were some soldiers who knew how to have fun made her stay a little more bearable. She was even more pleased to find something as ancient as a Wii down in the storage bins. _”The Doc and I are totally gonna be able to play some chill games on this old thing!”_ She felt herself grinning from ear to ear with this thought alone. She dug through cases upon cases of video games, hoping to find the exact title she was looking for. 

Her search halted upon hearing the door open, and a voice reach her ears. “You’re quite dedicated to finding a simple game, Aren’t you?” 

“An- Doc!” Hana turned to glance at Angela in the doorway. In her own hand she had the game she was searching for, and held it up with a triumphant grin. “Yeah! I found it, wanna have a look before I pop it in the console?” 

The doctor walked over and reached over the couch for the case, examining it from front to back. “Wii Play, huh? I remember others messing with this when I was younger.” 

“Yeah?” Hana questioned, tilting her head a bit. “So you’re familiar with it then.” 

“Well…” Angela handed the case back before walking around the couch to sit on it. “I saw a few of them playing every now and again when I passed by. I took my work seriously then too, so I never actually… ‘played’ it. But, I know what it looks like. Is that what you’ve decided on?” 

The gamer nodded, and she got up from the floor. She slid the drawer with all the other games shut before putting her full attention to the game in hand. “Yeah, It has a bunch of fun minigames and you just collect points. Just go until you get tired, really.” She explained, getting the game system to start up and load the disk. Hana handed Angela a remote in the process and left off to the side. Angela glanced at her curiously, and raised her eyebrows in mild surprise as Hana brought over a bag of popcorn for them to share. At the expression, Hana grinned. “What, you expect a bag of D.ritos and some Mountain Dew?” 

“Yes, Actually.” Angela responded. “You didn’t dump a melted cup of butter into this before bringing it over, did you?” 

“I like my junk food Doc, but overly-buttery popcorn isn’t one of them.” Hana said, grabbing a handful for herself. 

The doctor could accept that answer, and took a few pieces to drop into her mouth. “Mm. Thank you” 

“No problem. Gotta have gamer fuel ready to go.” Hana smiled. 

As the game went through its several loading screens, Angela looked over at Hana’s rather excited posture. Despite the fact they were to be playing games the soldier rarely touched, she seemed genuinely happy to be playing something with Angela. No one really invited Angela to do things like this, so the fact that Hana did warmed the doctor’s heart. She realized she was staring just a little too long, when Hana turned towards her. 

“Hey, Doc? You gonna pick a character or what?” 

“Oh. Sorry Miss So-... I mean, Hana.” Angela had a sheepish grin, and turned her attention back to the screen. Hana too, shook her head, and grinned at the doctor’s stare. Angela glanced through the selection of avatars other soldiers had left behind, but eventually settled on one of the premade ones just as Hana seemed to do. 

The screen opened up to a ring of bubbles around the two characters, and Hana got a sizeable grin on her face for it. “Okay, the first one isn’t violent, it’s like target practice. You don’t have to shoot the ducks in the background, but you can for extra points. Sound good to you?” 

She thought on it for a moment, and with a bit of a smile she nodded “That sounds like a good one to start.” Angela agreed, and Hana let out a small giggle selecting it. It explained to them briefly how to play, and then the game mode started with a bang.

\--- --- ---

“Come on! That’s so not fair, I caught the King of the Pond!” 

“But you reeled it in when it wasn’t called for.” 

“Augh, alright!” 

The two had been playing for a few hours, a few rounds of each game mode the game as a whole had to offer. On a fishing minigame, where catching fish the AI requested gained extra points, they were almost equally matched. That fact caused them to be hung up on it the longest amount of time, even letting them ignore the last two game modes to play.

Hana let her remote drop into the couch as she stretched, letting out a mewl like whine in the process. “I think we should take a break, yeah?” 

Angela put her remote down as well and stood instead. “I think it’s about time I got back to work, Hana.” The doctor responded.

Glancing at the wall, Hana hunched her shoulders reading it’s time. “Oh. Right. You have been stuck here for a few hours… I guess you should head back.” 

Angela felt a small pang of guilt in her chest, but gave Hana a soft pat on her shoulder. “We can do this again sometime. I... actually had fun.” Angela gave her a slight smile to assure her. 

Hana had a half smile on her face, evidence of her embarrassing happiness. “You’d come hang out with me again, Doctor Z?” She inquired, turning on the couch to see her new friend a little better. Angela glanced away, but nodded. 

“I think so. Good night, Hana.” She bid, heading towards the door.

“Night, Doc.” Hana waved, and turned back around. 

“Angela.” 

“Wha?” 

“You can call me Angela, in nights like these.” Angela assured, and watched the younger soldier whip back around and hang a little over the back of the couch. 

“You mean it?” Hana questioned, and Angela nodded. Hana’s face broke out in what Angela anticipated to be the most genuine smile the gamer had yet. “Thanks Doc! I mean, Angela. I won’t abuse it, promise~” 

Angela shook her head, her smile remaining. It felt better not having an enemy to worry about in base… Although, Hana was still far from what Angela would call a close friend. Regardless, she felt that with their similarities, that would not be the case for much longer. She opened the door and almost completely ran into a much smaller figure than her. 

“Oi! Doc! Did- Didn’t know you were in ‘ere” Lena took a few steps back from the door, glancing up to Angela with a cheery grin. Angela felt a blush rise up as she offered a gentle smile to the Brit.

“Hello, Lena.” She greeted before turning down the hallway. She quickly dismissed herself back to her quarters, leaving the young soldiers together.

Used to Angela’s disappearing act, Lena stepped inside, and saw Hana still over the couch with a light blush and a satisfied smile across her face. “Hey there, Lil Song. Did you finally manage to get Angela to sit down and play a game for a little while?” 

“Yeah. Something like that.” Hana responded sheepishly. She scratched the back of her neck and let her glance fall to the ground in minor embarrassment before perking back up with a confident grin. “I totally wrecked her in some games!” 

Lena glanced to the TV, then to Hana with a little know it all smile. “As long as you both had fun, love. It’s good to see Angela not so cooped up in that office at this hour.” 

Hana gave a nodd as an agreement, then sighed and turned the TV off, shutting the console down with the power button on her remote. She tried to ignore the minor fit of embarrassment that settled with being caught enjoying herself on such a simple game. It was just by Lena, sure, but Hana did not like her soft side being seen by too many people. If she could even call it that. 

Picking herself up, Hana tucked away the rest of her gaming adventure and carried the bag of popcorn to the trashcan before heading out to her room in hopes to get some rest.

\--- --- ---

In her room, Angela sat on her bed with her laptop in her lap. She was not doing as much ‘research’ as she mentioned; it was more of staring blankly at the screen until her eyes begged for a blink. Groaning softly and rubbing her eyes, Angela had guessed that she had been at this for more than an hour already. The time at the corner of her screen reading 22:43 only confirmed her suspicions. _”Verdamnt…”_

Something nagged at the doctor, but she could not pin what it was. Something wrong with her research, her work ethic… It could not have been the break she decided to take today, was it? No… 

She placed her computer to the side and stood, grabbing the pack of cigarettes on her nightstand. 

_“Isn’t smoking bad for your health or something?”_ Hana had asked her just last week. 

She scoffed at hearing the young Korean’s voice in her ears. “I don’t need a child telling me what to do.” Angela muttered stubbornly, shoving the pack inside her pocket with her lighter. 

Angela subconsciously took a bit longer of a route, one that the young soldier would not follow should she end up taking a walk outside, and stepped out into the chill air. She took a moment, really taking in the area around her. The light crash of the waves against the rocks far below the ground level of the base, and the slight wind whistle that came with it. All of it was the perfect white noise for Angela to get lost in. 

She shut her eyes, enjoying the noises for a while. It helped to calm her nerves, but not enough. A deep sigh left the doctor’s chest before she pulled out her pack and the lighter, shaking one out and lighting it.

Taking the first puff of the so called cancer stick, Angela exhaled and could barely see the smoke drift off into the night. The day caught up with her quickly in that moment, and the doctor sunk to the ground, leaning against the stiff wall as she continued her break. Usually, her thoughts could not catch her in moments like these. But, that looming thought still bothered her while she watched the ash burn down her cigarette. 

_”... Maybe I should talk to Zenyatta my own self”_ She pondered for a moment, thinking of how visiting with the monk seemed to help Genji so well with his inner turmoil. Even so, Genji’s feelings were of revenge. 

Angela’s were of remorse of several kinds. 

She shook her head on the idea, and put her light out against the concrete, leaving it a bit longer than she typically left her smokes at. _”He doesn’t need that burden on his conscious. I’ll keep to myself.”_ she decided, and collected herself to head inside. It seemed nothing would calm the Doctor’s mind tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully that was just the right amount of sweet. I enjoy writing Hana trying to play 'noob' games to connect to Angela. I know Angela would typically be much harder to distract from work, Angela herself is already quite distracted, as you can clearly tell. 
> 
> If anyone has any lovely suggestions on how to improve, I'm more than willing to listen. 
> 
> Thanks a bunch for your support!


	5. Level 5 - Simulation (CheckPoint!)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hana starts the day in a simulated fight, and surprises Angela with her prowess on an actual battlefield later in the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the two day delay. I was starting to get a little burnt out and my Ideas were running short by the time I decided to write this. So i took a day break, and got back to it this evening. On the bright side though, my Outline for the fic is filled to chapter 10~ 
> 
> But first, you all have the first checkpoint!

Angela felt a crushing feeling in her chest as the number mechanical pieces scattered about the battlefield increased. A simulation of a standard fight with Talon, their soldiers represented by dark colored training bots. Many Overwatch soldiers that were currently there were on position in the field, Reinhardt as the team’s strike leader. Hana was included in the small faction, much to Angela’s displeasure. 

In this simulation, the bots posed relatively little threat, but Angela always desired to be present in case something went tragically wrong. This was the first battle simulation they were going through as a unit, instead of individually. Yet someone still appeared to treat it as a little video game. 

The gamer activated her boosters, plowing her mech through some of the training bots. Her Fusion Cannons shot in a perfect rhythm as she glided, tearing through even more bots in front of her. Hana was pushing her limits even in just a test run. Angela _did not_ want to be present if this soldier actually got put on the battlefield. _”No wonder she was so easy to acquire from MEKA. She’s a reckless brat.”_ Angela thought, rolling her eyes at a triumphant pump of Hana’s cannons to the air, her ‘enemies’ slain.

“Tracer to D.Va, You really hit hard out there, don’t cha?” A tiny earpiece sparked to life in Angela’s ear. 

“D.Va to Tracer. It’s why I’m the best after all!” 

Angela shook her head. The young woman may have toned down her over-confidence around the Doctor and the Medical Bay, but she had a long way to go around her fellow teammates, even if they seemed to be eating the act up.

“That will do for now” Winston’s voice came over the communications, and some bots that were still active slowed to a stop. The small strike team came together with Winston to debrief, going over what went wrong, what went smoothly, and finally… 

“A mission already?” Angela heard over the comms, and she straightened her back. She saw Lena jump into the air with a rather excited shout. Hana too, although her expression was clouded by the cockpit window. 

“We intercepted Talon communications, they’re planning an ambush soon on the base…” 

Angela took the earpiece out, stuffing it into her coat pocket. She stood from her chair and glanced to the huddle before shaking her head and making her way out. She did not care to hear about what Talon was doing, or what they wanted with the base. All she cared was her teammates to return safely. Winston would call her back if she was needed. 

The walk back to her office was solidarity. Accompanied only by the echo of her clogs, Angela was tempted to go outside on the other end of the base. Her decision making was interrupted by a different pair of footsteps quickly approaching the good doctor.

“Hey, Doc!” Those steps, of course, belonged to Hana Song. 

Angela took a breath to calm herself before she stopped, turning around to see the young soldier run up to her with an excited grin on her face. Glowing stars seemed to shine brightly in her eyes. “Hey! Did you see us on the training field, Doctor Z? Weren’t we awesome?” 

She gave a small nod. “Your team did surprisingly well for not having worked together in so long” She commented. 

Hana attempted to not show her displeasure too much. “Well… I mean. Yeah, the team was great! Lena’s a great combat buddy. She does a lot of the damage and I can zoom in for the kill, pretty sweet huh? Angela?” 

“You realize this isn’t some game, right Miss Song?” Angela asked her, crossing her arms at last. Such a statement finally shut the gamer up, and the Doctor took that as her chance to continue. “That simulation, yes, You could take like a game, of course. If you get hurt, Winston and Athena would hald the program so you can get attention. But out on that battlefield, there is no pause button, Hana. No escape menu to pull up and consider your options. If you get hurt on that mission today, Zenyatta isn’t going to be able to take care of it then and there, he could get killed too” Angela lectured. 

As she spoke, Hana’s glance traveled downward as she clenched her fists, even looking the slightest bit remorseful. Angela considered for a slight moment that she was too harsh on her, for whatever reason, when Hana’s face turned back up. Her expression burned of passion and determination, a seriousness behind her eyes that Angela had yet to see in the young gamer.

“I know the difference between real life and a simulation, Doctor Ziegler. I figured you’d be glad to see I was collaborating with _your_ team. Nothing ever pleases you, does it?” Hana said. Her words had a bit of venom dripping from them, and Angela for once could not think of a way to respond. Hana nodded at her, and turned around to retreat down the hallway. “... I’ll be streaming the fight. If you want to make sure everyone stays safe.” She said, finally taking her leave. 

Angela let her arms fall to her sides as Hana left. She almost wanted to curse herself for being so… Harsh. But she did not say anything too bad, it was not like she called Hana a pure child. Still...

Winston did not summoned her to assist the mission, and she settled in her rolling chair with a deep sigh. Being out in the battle field was not something her conscious needed today. Besides… She had to make a lesson plan for yet another new recruit to her medical staff. It would be a good time for Zenyatta to test his abilities working with a group in battle as well. It had all sorts of positives, which typically would appease Angela. Something about it all still bothered the good doctor. 

She drummed her fingers over her desk, glancing at various case studies or published papers she could have her new disciple read. Anything to catch this new medic up to speed in as few days as possible. Reading over one of her papers in particular for nearly an hour, Angela minimized the document and pulled up her web browser instead. If she was going to educate this new medic, and Zenyatta further, she would have to watch how Zenyatta was faring. _Only_ to see how he was faring, she convinced herself. 

Despite no actual link being given, Angela found Hana’s stream fairly quickly with just a quick search of “D.Va’s Stream”. The young soldier had her own website with a direct feed to her stream already there. The video feed was quite sizable, covering over half the webpage, and on the side there was a chat already flying. _”Interesting. I’ve never actually seen a stream before. So this is what it’s like.”_ Angela took minor note before the video feed loaded in properly. 

Contrary to what Angela expected, Hana’s face was stoic and focused in the miniature feed in the lower left corner. At the top were various stats that also were not what Angela was expecting. One was titled ‘Donations’, and had a sizeable number next to it, while another had the number of people watching. The rest seemed to be the typical HUD of a mech unit from MEKA, with a fuel gauge and missile number along the sides to keep track of utilities.There was also a chat feed on Hana’s HUD, exactly what Angela saw on the website, yet the soldier was doing well in ignoring it.

After she got a good look at the setup of the stream, Angela was able to focus on what was actually going on in the battle. The fight appeared to be going well into the Strike Team’s favor. No one seemed critically injured, and as commands flooded in from Reinhardt, Hana never failed to follow them. She mainly remained behind his shield, firing when needed, and using a system known as “Defense Matrix” to vaporize fire from hitting Tracer and Genji when they dashed.

A few scattered soldiers behind Reinhardt’s shield kept focused fire, as Angela could see from Hana’s sides. The young soldier listened intently, and her eyes were radically scanning her battle field. Suddenly, Angela could see her eyes light up as the comms buzzed to life over the stream, no doubt with a bit of lag. 

“Tracer to Team, I’m going in for a strike with my pulse bomb!” Tracer dashed through Rein’s shield, right by D.Va’s side

“D.Va to Tracer, I’ve got you covered.” In this moment, Hana appeared to be a completely different person to Angela, not like the excited ready-to-kill girl earlier in the day.

On the battlefield, D.Va toggled her controls forward, activating her boosters and flying after Tracer. The Brit was already three blinks ahead of the mech unit, and her pulse bomb was in her hand and on its timer. D.Va’s Defense Matrix caught plenty of incoming fire, which fell away as the bomb flew through the air to the shooter’s location. As it landed, it detonated, scattering soldiers and debris in all sorts of broken up directions.

Tracer blinked back, and was about to give a cheer. A scream instead came from her mouth, with a large crackling shot went through the air. “Sniper! Don’t get caught!” D.Va informed her team, and she adjusted her controls and the stream. Rushing her boosters again, D.Va flew forward to cover Tracer from further attack. She lowered the body of her mech in front of Tracer, and stuck out a hand. “Lena, can you stand?” Hana asked her curiously as she helped the Brit quickly back up to a good leg. Her right thigh had been shot through, cleanly Hana would add, and almost gushing blood. 

Reinhardt charged forward, covering both of them with his shield. The rest of the Talon agents seemed to be falling back, and as a result, Overwatch soldiers did as well. Reinhardt was there simply to cover for Lena and Hana both, and turned his head back slightly. 

“Tracer, can you walk?” He asked. 

“Ah… Haha… I think I’m alright…” She tried to keep her cheery disposition, despite her pinched expression showing her pain. 

Hana gave a nod at that, and without much permission from Lena otherwise, she scooped her up on top of the Fusion Cannons, earning a slight yelp from Lena as she did. They backed up as fast as Reinhardt was able to go Hana kept her controls stable, ensuring that the injured in her arms would not fall all the while. She tried to joke with her to keep her cheery, and the Brit, rather grateful, had no problem keeping up with that. 

“Reinhardt to Athena, we’re returning to the ship. Tracer is injured, inform Doctor Ziegler at once.” 

\--- --- ---

The feed cut on Angela’s end as soon as Hana turned to see Lena. The doc herself could barely see the red splotch of blood on her injured friend before it went to some cheery pixelated image of D.Va, holding up an eight-bit heart. 

Her own pulse racing, Angela already started around the Medical Bay. They were a half an hour from arrival at most, but Angela needed to prepare incase Lena was hit critically. The view she got was nowhere near enough of her to tell if Lena was shot in the chest, or if the Chrono Excellerator was still in one piece. 

With the slight urgent case of a wounded soldier profusely bleeding, the ship carrying the strike team made it back quicker than Angela’s predetermined arrival time. Luckily with her jumpstart, she was ready to take care of Lena the moment she was guided into the Medical Bay by the much younger soldier. Hana was helping on Lena’s injured side, and making sure she did not put much pressure on said leg. Much to Angela’s expectations, Lena was making any effort she could to keep herself cheery and conscious. Hana was more than willing to comply and add to it, as they were sharing a joke before Angela rushed forward. 

“Shot through the thigh.” Hana informed, despite the bloodied bandage over Lena’s leg being obvious enough. “Zen stopped the bleeding and Rein kept her safe from anymore fire. Only injury sustained out there, everyone else is perfectly fine.” 

“Danke.” Angela responded simply, and she quickly swooped the injured soldier up into her grasp. Lena yelped, but shakily laughed a bit. “Haha… You never fail to surprise me with your strength, Doc.” 

The Doctor gave only a slight nod to acknowledge that she heard Lena, and moved to get her to a bed. Hana leaned against the wall, and decided to move herself into Angela’s office instead, willing to wait for her to be finished. 

She sat in Angela’s guest chair backwards and leaned on it, glancing through the trinkets on Angela’s desk- rather, the lack thereof. A bored expression on her face, the young soldier loitered around until Angela came back over, a slight sheen of sweat on her brow from her hurried prep, and sat in her chair. She pulled the injury report from a file cabinet, and started to go over what she had seen and repaired. 

Hana waited for a few seconds, observing the good doctor before making her ignored presence known. “Hey, Doctor Z. Is she gonna be alright?” 

Angela looked up from her paper briefly, acknowledging that Hana was there now. The gamer could see a slight blush on her face for one reason or another, before she tilted her head back down. “It was a straight through shot, completely missed her femur, and any major blood vessels. Whoever shot was not trying to go for anything lethal. Clearly, otherwise her wound would be more around her chest or straight through her head.” Angela commented, and Hana nodded in understanding. 

“It could’ve been worse. I’m glad she’s alright.” Hana responded. Angela gave a slight noise of ‘mhm’ before continuing her writing. Hana hung around for just a bit longer, examining the neat, cursive handwriting in German. Hana found it intriguing, for a little while at least, before she stood to leave. That got Angela’s more focused attention. 

“You’re leaving already?” Angela asked, and the gamer turned. She leaned against the door frame, folding her arms and keeping her gaze towards the ground.

“You don’t like me hanging around here when you’re working anyway.” Hana said.

The doctor had a bit of a sigh to her next phrase, and tried to meet Hana’s eyes. “Well, before you go. Thank you, Hana. For saving Lena like that, and helping her into the Medical Bay. I appreciate it” Angela said. 

Hana waited a moment or two, before her lips curled up just slightly. “It’s my duty, Doc. I do actually care about my teammates sometimes.” She responded, and gave the Swiss woman a small wink. 

With that, Hana left Angela’s office, and the doctor to her own devices and deep thought. _”Perhaps… there’s something more to her little phrase, ‘I play to win’...”_

\--- --- ---

Hana was in early to visit Lena the next morning as she recovered. Angela took notice for it as she walked in with her steaming mug of coffee on Hana’s way out. The soldier had her hair up tightly wound in a bun, fit for training, and her face wiped clean of the war paint from yesterday. As she passed Angela, she gave a slight wave and a hum. Angela returned the gesture, but shortly after turned around. “Hana.” 

The young gamer paused, turning her head. “Yeah, Doc?” 

She cleared her throat, a blush over her cheeks as she prepared to speak. “I… watched your stream yesterday. I wanted to check on Zenyatta, make sure he was doing fine. I did not expect you to be so… Professional. I’m sorry for what I said about your behavior.” Angela said.

The gamer had a smile spread on her face, her ego having been rubbed the right way. It dropped quickly however, as she turned her entire body to face the doctor in full attention. “Well… You’re right. I take everything as a game. It’s… Like a coping mechanism. Life’s a pretty big game and we’re stuck in it with one life only. I try to make the best of this life on hard mode. But believe it or not, I know when to remember I can actually die, and when it’s safe to think I’ll respawn after a quick trip here to you.” Admitting this, Hana felt a warm blush appear on her face. Angela felt that soft heat too, and she hid her slight smile. 

“I think I understand the analogy now, Hana. Thank you for understanding the difference.” Angela said softly. 

With that, Hana’s smile grew extremely wide. “No problem. See you in the Rec room Sunday?” 

“I’ll see you there, Hana” Angela responded. 

That phrase alone seemed to make Hana’s day. Her smile was almost too big for her own good. “Great! See ya, Angela!” She waved, and hopped backwards to start jogging out of the Medical Bay. 

When she was gone, Angela smiled fondly and cupped her own face in adoration. Even if she was a mature soldier, she did have her moments of being cute that Angela embraced. “... Ya know Angie” Lena’s voice came from the back. “She really is a pretty good soldier. Reminds me of, well, me when I was her age.” 

The Doctor shook her head as she walked over to check on Lena, the young Brit smiling brightly as her dear friend approached. Angela gave her a soft smile and leaned against the wall near her bed. “Yes well. You were an excited cadet, seven years ago.” 

“She’s much better than me back then. Hell, even now” Lena had such a big smile on her face, praising the younger soldier. “I’m still too quick to rush in. She was so… calm the entire time. And listened to Reinhardt way more than I did. She doesn’t get enough credit around here.” 

Angela sighed, and looked into her dark mug with the slightest tinge of guilt. 

“... You’re right. She doesn’t”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I decided to have it be a little thing, every 5 chapters is a 'CheckPoint', and I'll re-blog the post on tumblr to show, hey, there's several chapters of this now. So, 10 and 15 (if we get that far) will be CheckPoints as well. Cute, huh? They're also supposed to mark major revelations Hana and Angela have about one another. In this instance, Angela realizes that Hana actually has the capacity to work like a normal soldier, despite her previous assumptions of Hana just being a self absorbed little brat. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed. I may or may not get chapter 6 out before Friday, but don't anticipate it too much. Once the weekend comes once more I'll be all up on the update train again. 
> 
> Till then, Have fun y'all! Hope you enjoyed~ Any and all suggestions and comments are welcome.


	6. Level 6 - Bad Habit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angela is having a rough time, and Hana attempts to cheer her up, only to find her outside with a particular bad habit hanging around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops this one ended up being shorter than usual. But that's okay. It'll get made up with later chapters. Hopefully y'all like a little angst to go with your budding feelings!

Overwatch’s redevelopment tugged along at a snail's pace. Soldiers were slowly but surely falling in line. A few of them Angela recognized, with Torbjorn arriving just last week. Jesse was supposed to be there, but he called Angela from some off brand phone booth that he was going to wait until after the ‘holiday’ season in the Americas before coming back over. _”Thanksgiving... What a strange holiday.”_ She mused. Even now, last night Angela had a rather surprising visit from an old friend… if you could call her that. Angela was still trying to erase the thought of the discussion and its weight on her mind, walking with a little slower step towards her office. 

As if on queue as she was about to step down the stairs, the footsteps of Hana Song rapidly caught up with Angela. They patted down the hallway and slowed to a stop next to the Swiss doctor. She turned her head and gave a soft smile to Hana despite being quite exhausted. “Guten Morgen, Hana.” She greeted softly. 

“Morning, Doc” Hana smiled, finishing up the messy bun on top of her head. “You hear Fareeha flew in last night with a few of her Helix Securities crew members?” 

Angela turned her head away, but gave Hana a simple nod. 

Together they went down the stairs, and Hana decided to continue. “I haven’t met her yet. But we’re supposed to be introduced at training today. Is she nice?” 

“She’s almost a spitting image of her mother” Angela responded softly. “If her mother was six feet tall and toted around a rocket launcher instead of a rifle” 

Hana snickered a little. “Wow, Didn’t know you could throw shade, Angela” 

“That wasn’t shade, it was a fact” The curve of her lips tugged up, and Hana’s grin only got wider. 

This sort of exchange was practically routine. Every day Hana would catch up with Angela before she went down stairs, and they sat in Angela’s office for a little while. It gave Angela an activity to enjoy while she finished waking up, and Hana a new friend to learn more about every morning. After an hour Hana would depart for training with other Overwatch agents, visiting the Medical Bay after the exercises were cut, then once more before Angela went to her room. 

Opening up her office, Angela sat in her chair generously, sipping slow on the mug of coffee she brought with her. Hana turned the other chair around, and sat in it backwards with a giddy grin. “You talked to Fareeha, right? How’d it go?” 

Angela was a bit slow in putting down her mug, thoughtful on what to say. The expression she bore was more than just her exhaustion speaking. “It was. Interesting, to say the least…” 

“Oh?” Hana tilted her head. “Was… everything okay between you two?” 

“Well…” Angela drummed her fingers around her mug. “... We’ll say that she had some rather… surprising news to tell me upon her arrival. About someone we both were very close to... I hope you understand if I don't wish to discuss further.” 

The young soldier nodded, and propped her head on her forearms. “I get it. Is every thing else okay, Doctor Z?” Hana questioned. 

“I’m… alright. No need to worry” Angela responded. The soft and quiet tone she had did not convince the younger woman by any means. 

Hana simply sighed, deciding to avoid conflict, and nodded. “If you say so, Doc. How’s that new recruit working out?” Hana decided to change the subject instead, and it brought a brighter expression. 

“Stephenos? He’s absolutely wonderful” Angela smiled softly. “He’s picking everything up rather quickly. I’ve requested Torbjorn to assist me in making another Valkyrie suit for his use in battle. He’s even more willing to help out in combat than I am, and everyone knows I’m very pleased to lend a hand where I need to.” she explained, taking a long sip of her coffee afterwards. 

Hana smiled softly at the idea of Angela being rather gleeful. “Cause he doesn’t mind the violence and carnage as much, right?” 

“You could say that” Angela responded. “But I think it is his youth that gives him more excitement for the rush of battle. As well as his lack of experience in an actual war fight. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but It does concern me for a young man never to have been in a fight to want one so badly.” 

“Yeah? How old is he” Hana inquired. 

“28” Angela responded. “He was midway through his residency in the States when he somehow heard Overwatch’s return, and contacted Winston personally after some snooping. I’m surprised, but he shows promise in general surgery, trauma, and triage. I previewed his history before arriving. I’m quite reminded of myself looking it over.” As she spoke, she shifted around her desk, pulling out the basic information on Stephenos for Hana to glance over.

The young soldier gained an approving smile. “He looks like such an excited young doctor. I’m glad you’re taking him on, Angela” 

The doctor hummed her agreement, taking yet another sip. Hana gave her a nod as she glanced to the clock on the wall. “I’ll come check on ya later Doc! Don’t go killing anyone~” Hana said as she stood, stretching out her back for a moment before taking her leave out. Angela gave the gamer a slight wave as she did, and even let out a slight huff in amusement. However, she continued to drown herself in her coffee promptly afterwards. 

\--- --- ---

Hana had popped into the good doctor’s office a few times over the course of the day to make small talk and bring her a snack or two. She wanted to make sure that Angela was alright, after all. There was something about the way she acted that Hana did not like, and had a feeling it had to do with Fareeha. So she decided to be a little ray of sunshine for once instead of some feisty ball of sass she usually slid into the office with. 

Upon her visit at the conclusion of her training day, she found the Swiss woman to be absent from her usual plush office chair, as well from the Medical Bay as a whole. Not in any private room, nor operating room, the blonde angel was gone. Tapping her foot impatiently in the middle of the ward, Hana turned on her heel and promptly left. _”Where in the world did the Doc go? She’s busiest during the week.”_ Hana pondered. 

Her boots left a slight echo as she wandered around the base looking for Angela, turning up with no leads from anyone. She even double checked all the panels next to each room to ensure Angela had not accessed them. The young soldier found herself at a loss, until she glanced to a door that led to outside the base, and slowly a conclusion settled in her head. Hana scrunched up her nose at such a thought, Angela outside with a cigarette in her hands. They both knew how crappy those things were for someone’s health, regardless of how easy it is to ‘fix’ with modern medicine. Taking a deep breath, Hana moved forward to open the door in hopes of finding Angela.

The rush of cold November air chilled her face at first, but she proceeded forward. She could not see much at first, but with a glow off to the side of a figure, Hana hoped she found who she was looking for. “Angela?” 

She saw the jump in Angela’s shoulders as the doctor turned around. Her face was illuminated by the glow of her cigarette, and afterwards the moonlight once Hana’s eyes adjusted. “Oh… Hello, Hana…” Her voice was quiet, and Hana felt sympathetic for a moment. She really did look tired in more natural lighting. Regardless, Hana had a new objective. 

“What are you doing out here like this, doc? Why the smoking?” Hana walked over, looking over Angela’s expression. 

The doctor turned away from Hana for a moment, too ashamed to answer. The young soldier pressed, and moved to the doctors front. “This is so bad for you, Doctor Ziegler. You know that too, don’t you?” Hana questioned her, a feel bad guilt-ridden expression over her face. Angela recognized it and sighed, putting the cigarette down and away from the younger girl in front of her. 

“It’s… a stress habit. I picked it up from... Jesse” Angela mumbled. “Damn cowboy smokes them like it’s candy… I criticize him every time. Then he elbows me knowing I take one at a rough patch in time” 

While the answer satisfied Hana, she did not like the blame. “But you keep doing it anyway, don’t you. If you know why it’s so bad, why do you do it? You somehow think because you’re a doctor you’re above it?” She did not mean for it to sound so bitter, but there it was anyhow. She could see the twitch in Angela’s face as she spoke. 

“Is it a crime to have some arrogance, Miss Number One?” Angela inquired. 

“I- what? No! Still. That’s the difference between games and something like this, Angela. At least my cockiness is harmless” Hana grabbed Angela’s hand, and lifted it to bring the lit-up cigarette into view. “This? This is just gonna get you killed. Regardless of how good of a doctor you might be.” 

It was now Angela’s turn to show her disapproval with the situation. “I believe I know my limits and my habits better than you, Miss Song. I don’t think you should continue to press me on this.” Sharp, precise, as if this argument had been had before. Angela’s muscles tensed in Hana’s grip. 

“Yeah, but still!” Hana exclaimed, looking quite upset. “There are so many better things you could be doing instead of… instead of this!” 

“I don’t need you to remind me.” Angela too, rose her voice, and tore her arm from Hana’s grasp. “I assure you I can handle myself just fine without your input!”

Hana took one last bitter breath before she rose her hand. She slapped Angela’s, and the cigarette went flying to some place quite scattered from them both. Angela watched it go, and she turned her head around to glare at Hana. She took a breath, ready to scold the young soldier for her quite drastic action, but something stopped her from yelling. 

The moonlight was on Hana’s face perfectly, and before anything else, Angela could see the light reflecting off of unfallen tears. The air came hitched in her throat, and she exhaled slowly. “Hana…” 

The younger woman did not say anything. Instead, she rushed into Angela. Tight arms wrapped around her waist, and a head pressed into her shoulder, Angela quickly realized that Hana had rushed in to hug her. She was shaking a little, from cold or from tears Angela could not quite tell. With a gentle sigh, the doctor wrapped her arms around the younger soldier. 

“Hana… Why do you care about me so much…?” Angela questioned softly, her words almost lost in Hana’s hair. 

Her trembling increased, as did the tight grip around her waist. A gentle sigh allowed Angela to move her hand and gently pat Hana’s head, running her hand down her soft brown hair. They remained like that for a few long seconds, the guilt seeping its way into Angela’s heart. 

When Hana finally let go, she did not leave Angela any time to examine her posture or her expression, and she made a break for the door back inside. “Hana wait, I-” Angela turned, but the door was already shut. Alone in the cold, Angela hugged herself and looked at the fallen cigarette, it’s light finally dying after the cold wind snuffed it down to the filter. The doctor was left to contemplate to herself, her gaze bouncing from the floor and the door. Soon enough, she stopped a foot on the ground and let out a frustrated growl. 

“Wonderful, Ziegler” She muttered angrily at herself, followed by several strings of German curses. She let out her frustration before reaching for the door, aiming to head back to her quarters for the night. She passed by several rooms, including Hana’s as she walked, and gave the slightest forlorn glance to the door. Something made her want to knock, but the same thing also told her to wait. 

_”I’ll apologize to her in the morning.”_ Angela settled. 

\--- --- --- 

Hana wished she could slam the door shut like at home. 

As it slid closed behind her, she grabbed at her own hair, packing up and down the clear middle stip. She had just yelled at a superior. She just _hit_ a superior. Worst of all, that superiod was Angela _fucking_ Ziegler! 

Frustrated tears made their way down her cheeks. She had no idea what compelled her to react in such a harsh way towards Angela’s shitty little habit. She had not been like this the first time she caught the doctor smoking, albeit they were not even friends back then. 

She eventually sat on her bed, taking in deep breathes to try and calm herself. Well, as much as she could, anyway. _”I know Angela but… she’s such a stickler for rules… I’m gonna get reported and sent out of here! Good job, Song…. augh!”_

Hana clung to her pillow for the moment, before pulling out her cell phone from her pocket. Maybe some reading would calm her nerves and put her to sleep, she figured, and She’d try to apologize in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes. 
> 
> Anyway, It's Veterans day tomorrow, and being in the state I am means today (Friday) Theres no school and no bowling practice! 3 Day weekends are perfect for writing. Expect quite a few updates, maybe with some errors here and there, that I'll try to fix over the week. I have like, 21 chapters written out in my trusty little outline, and I don't plan to stop there. So you guys have a long fic ahead of you. 
> 
> As always, I accept any suggestions or Ideas, and if there's an error, I'd love for it to be pointed out! Thank you guys so much for reading, hope for an update soon!


	7. Level 7 - Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angela wakes up after a nightmare from her past. Taking a walk, she hears a piercing scream call her attention.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised~ Later tonight!! Here's chapter 7 and boi is it my favorite one so far? Fuck yes.

_**Click.** _

_**Click.** _

_**Click.** _

_…_

_Angela stood with her pistol out, held in a rigid stance as she approached the corner. She did not know what was happening, or where she was. In fact, the walls were vaguely familiar. But, every hospital had its familiarity._

_Was that where she was? Regardless. She knew she was walking down a hallway. Papers were scattered, some glasses broken from the lights being shot out, some windows busted. The more aware Angela became of her situation, the more she could confirm that she was indeed in a hospital. A familiar one at that. She could not remember for the life of her where she was before she started walking down the corridor, but she did know there were enemies about, and that is what caused her to pull her emergency pistol._

_The side of her Valkyrie suit brushed against the wall as she pressed herself against it. There were noises, and she was not about to take her chances lightly._

_Turning quickly, Angela held her firearm up to attention. There was an omnic unit, a Slicer, she recognized it, a very early model. Three rounds from her pistol was enough to send it clattering into pieces on the floor._

_The rest of the way clear, Angela started a light sprint down it. A groan caught her attention, that of an injured. Angela turned her head around and saw a nurse on the floor, shrapnel in her chest, possibly a braising or puncturing her diaphragm altogether. Angela got down next to her and took her hand. The face was oddly familiar as well._

_“Angela!” This woman managed to wheeze, and it made the doctor raise her eyebrows in interest at the thick German accent that came with it. “H-Hide. It’s not safe for you, dear” Those words were in German._

_It finally struck Angela._

_This was Marion. A nurse that commonly worked with her father, sometimes played games with her as her parents worked._

_Her parents._

_Angela was in a Swiss Hospital._

_That meant…_

_“Mama! Papa!” whipping her head to the left, where she remembered her parents were, Angela squeezed Marion’s hand tenderly. “I’m so sorry, Marion… I am” Angela responded to her, trying to give her own form of sympathy before standing quickly._

_Fear and worry made her heart pump rapidly in her chest, and there was little to nothing Angela could do against the feeling. She ran over other debris, fallen omnics against people who had retaliated through some means. The twist and winds of hallways seemed to never end, until she came to a primary room. Half circle desk that she recognized as a nurses station, there were several bodies on the floor. Some were covered from various debris, and all of them were soaked in blood._

_This was Marion’s nurse station, which meant that the people whom Angela was looking for, would be near._

_She slid over the station, knocking over a few pebbles and computer shrapnel, and she found exactly who she was looking for._

_The angel dropped on her knees to the floor, the bodies had long since drained themselves of blood, and she could feel it sticking to the metal of her Valkyrie boots. This… this was the kind of tragedy she only could dream of ending. She gripped her father’s hand, giving it a strong squeezed as she felt the tears rush to her face. She could hear her own little voice in the back of her mind while she started to cry. All kinds of apologetic mutters and cries of ‘come back’ echoed in that empty sector of the hospital._

_Angela continued to grieve until the noise of a Bastion Unit caused her crying to cease._

.

.

.

When she finally stirred from her sleep, the dreams rattling her brain like a damn broken record on repeat, Angela was frozen at first. Her heart rate sped up, then slowed down rapidly in her chest, and she sat up with a horrid groan and choked back hiccup. Even at 30 years, she still could visualize everything perfectly… 

Hardly able to sit still, Angela got up. Her first instinct was to grab the pack of cigarettes next to her, but she quickly realized that pack was finished. Unwilling to get herself a new one, she slipped her feet into soft yellow slippers, and grabbed her ID card instead. A walk around the base would have to do to calm her nerves. 

The fight with Hana over the cigarette was also still fresh in her mind. It discouraged her from grabbing more to calm herself over this… silly little memory. She spent a few hours trying to organize her computer files before she caved in, slipping in her bed and attempting to sleep. It was strange, she figured, being able to sleep so easily after that argument. Any straight up argument with a friend left Angela awake for hours, even days after the argument took place. Tonight was something different… 

She held herself close as she slowly made her way around the halls. There was something unusually soothing when she took laps. Nowhere near as soothing as her cigarettes, of course, otherwise she would just take midnight strolls around the base whenever she pleased instead of sucking on those vile little cancer sticks. _”Bad habits can be hereditary, Angela. Try not to follow in your father’s steps, or mine.”_ Angela could hear her mother’s voice still clear as day every time she lit one up, or grabbed a wine glass. Her habits were nowhere near as bad as her parents, of course. That still did not discount them from existing in her life. 

As Angela mulled, she felt that guilt seep right back in her heart, replacing her worry and fear from reliving finding her parents dead among omnics. Hana… She really hurt that girl somehow, she figured. What caused her dramatic outburst at Angela’s habit, the doctor could not quite place. Maybe she would learn in time what that secret would be, provided Hana still decided to talk to her. Angela did not quite get along well with the concept of friendships, after all. 

A muffled scream pierced through Angela’s thoughts. Doctor mode activated, Angela started running down the hallway instead of just padding down it. The source was easily found, and Angela quickly pressed her ID card to allow her access. The perks of being the head of Medical Research and Surgery, she figured. The door slid open a few seconds after, and Angela peered in. 

Bolt upright, breathing roughly, was Hana in the bed next to the door. Her arms were wrapped tightly around herself as she seemed to try to calm herself down. Angela observed for a moment, noticing that Hana seemed to have woken up from whatever dream she had been having. There was no blood that she could see either. She stepped in, and the door shut behind her. 

“Hana” Angela gave a testing call of her name. She saw the slightest twitch of Hana’s ears becoming more attentive. She knew for sure that Hana was awake now. She slid by, slowly, and sat on the bed halfheartedly, wrapping an arm around Hana’s shoulders. “It’s okay Hana… I’ve got you.” Angela said softly, reaching up and turning the light on as well. 

Almost as if it was a trigger, Hana slowly started to break down. Angela saw the entire process unfold, first she felt the intense shaking, then strained expansions of Hanas chest. FInally, she heard the choked sobs and could just tell, Hana had started to openly cry. It was soft at first, little hiccups here and there, before Angela could hear the intensity grow, and larger gasps and whines came from Hana’s mouth instead. 

She shifted, holding her a little more generously, and started to rub Hana’s back in open sympathy. She understood more than anyone else in the world at that moment what Hana felt like. Holding the distraught soldier close, Angela tried to get her to open up a little more, so she was not so cramped. 

It was the right motion, as after a few long seconds, Hana uncurled, and she hugged Angela back tightly, her fingers now digging deep into the Doctor’s shoulder blades. Angela bit her lip in an attempt to keep her own pain from sensitive spots quiet, and just continued to rub Hana’s back to soothe her further. It was of little use, but Angela figured some presence for her was better than none. She could not count the number of times she had been lost in such fits, with no one there to comfort her as she was younger. Being here with Hana was not only a help to Hana herself, but to ease her own troubles. It had been a while since Angela had her own nightmares… exercising this comfort, also gave some to herself. 

Slowly, Hana began to slow her crying fit. The whines died down first, then the hiccups slowly came to a stop. Angela could feel the wet stain in her turtleneck as the gamer picked her head up just a bit, and looked at Angela. For the first time in her life, Angela had seen just how fearful those dark hazel eyes could be, especially with how confident and prideful Hana was normally. That scared look and expression was so strangely familiar, and Angela wanted to keep Hana close and never let her go despite their arguments earlier. 

Angela moved carefully, up completely on Hana’s bed so she was leaning against the wall. Hana was tugged in suit, and together they laid on the younger soldier’s bed as Hana’s little crying session died down. The doctor made sure to hold and support her, until she gave a bit more force against Angela’s hands. She relieved her pressure, and Hana sat up, wiping her face and struggling to breathe. Angela felt quite a bit of sympathy for her in this moment, and waited. Their position was… quite unceremonious and unprofessional for a comforting measure, but Angela did not quite come in as a doctor to begin with. With her face red and eyes puffy, Hana padded at her tears and quickly tried to straighten herself up, realizing that Angela was below her, and she was straddling the good doctor’s hips. The position itself was quite compromised, but Hana gave less fucks than anyone else in the world. 

Finally, when she leaned back down to lay on top of Angela, she heaved out a sigh. “U… Um… Hi, Angela…” Hana murmured, and Angela laid a hand on top of her head. 

“How are you doing, Hana?” She asked softly. 

The younger soldier blushed a bit. “... Better” was the quiet mutter. 

Angela nodded, and she sat up. Urging the gamer out of her lap, they sat next to each other on the bed instead as Hana continued to straighten herself out. She leaned against the other wall connected to her bed, and kept her gaze from Angela’s. “I’m… sorry you saw me like that... “ 

The doctor shook it off. “You’re not the first soldier i’ve comforted during a night terror, Hana, and I am more than confident that you will not be the last. Although, you were the first one I’ve held rather than simply coached through.” Angela responded. 

Hana gave a soft nod, but kept her gaze low. “Um… Why… why were you here in the first place? I didn’t know you could get into my room” 

“As a medic, I have the ability to bypass any lock if I fear someone may be in medical danger. I heard your scream and i thought you were injured…” Angela responded softly.

“O… Oh…” Angela could hear the embarrassment in Hana’s voice. “But… why were you outside to begin with?” hana further inquired. 

Sheepishly, Angela turned away. “I um… I had a nightmare too.” She responded softly, and Hana then looked at her. 

“You? You had a nightmare?” Hana looked at Angela’s face, examining it. In the Doctor’s expression, she could see the same kind of exhaustion and tiredness that she herself typically had in nights like these. Scratching the back of her head, Hana hummed and nodded in understanding. “... Right. Combat Medic. You probably saw a lot of horrifying stuff, huh? Do you… Usually go back to sleep when this happens?” 

Angela shook her head. “No. Im usually quite shaken…” Angela responded. “I’d start my work early on those days… and You?” 

“Can’t sleep at all afterwards…” The gamer responded. 

Pretty solidified in their situation, they sat in silence for a good moment or two. They were unsure if more conversation was the right course of action, or in Angela’s case if she should leave or not. 

Hana had an idea that would benefit them both. “Do you… want to watch a movie in the Rec Room?” 

The idea piqued Angela’s interested, and she gave a gentle nod. “... That actually sounds like a wonderful idea, Hana.” Angela agreed. 

Hana’s eyes did not quite light up in excitement, but a small smile did don her face. “Lets go, then.” She said, and wiggled off of her bed. Angela follwoed suit, and Hana was able to quickly grab a movie case and her ID before following Angela out of her room. 

Walking along the corridor, they remained in silence for a few moments, until they got to the stairs. “So um…” Hana started, and Angela turned to her. “...What was your dream about, Doc?”

Angela took afew steps down to gather her words. “When I was a little girl… My parents were killed. The Omnic war had just started and became apparent. The news hadn’t quite spread… But it was there. As they both worked in a Swiss Hospital, I very frequently went with them. I’d play with the nurses and go visit patients. One of those days, Omnics invated my country, and they tore through the hospital like a whirlwind. I locked myself in a patient’s bathroom and felt the hospital shake with attacks. I ended up falling asleep and forgot about it for a while but… When I awoke, I tried to find my parents. I found a nurse i was quite fond with on my way. With her dying breath she told me to run away. Of course, I didn’t listen to her and i ran to her nurse's station further down the corridor. My parents were shredded behind the counter” Angela explained generously. 

It took them down the stairs and halfway through the next hallway. Hana looked at her with some form of shock and sympathy as Angela kept her gaze to the ground. “... What about you, Hana?” She asked to break the silence. “What did you see?” 

It was Hana’s turn to blush and look at the floor. “...The last time we fought the monster in the seas. I know several good soldiers who are still injured from the fight. I lost a few close friends too. The battle itself was horrible, and there were mech pieces everywhere. That _thing_ practically consumed two of my best friends, and my best second in commands… One of them suffocated on fumes with bad lungs, and was caught by the beast. The other had her mech slammed into the ground and dragged into the depths of the ocean to never be seen again... “ Hana held herself as she explained. 

Angela nodded along to it. The little detail, the soldier with the awful lungs. Quickly, the doctor managed to put two and two together without giving the inner workings of her brain away to Hana. _”... Perhaps that soldier is why Hana reacted so poorly to my stress smoking… That soldier probably did the same, or smoked cigarettes like Jesse does… She did not want me to fall to the same fate”_ Angela thought. 

The story (and Angela’s contemplation) brought them to the Rec Room, and Hana opened the door. “I’ll… get popcorn while you get it started?” Hana suggested, and the doctor nodded. 

“That sounds like a plan to me, Hana” She assured. The young gamer flashed the tiniest of smiles before heading to one side of the Rec Room while Angela started up the movie. 

It took a few minutes, but at some point Hana flopped on the couch while Angela skipped to the main menu, and she pulled a blanket from the back of the couch to cover them both with. Hana snuggled up to it immediately, and Angela simply covered her lap. It was a soft little gesture, their combined efforts to make each other feel more comfortable. 

Hana’s choice in movie was oddly satisfying, and fitting. “Wonder Woman, huh?” Angela smiled. 

“American films can be good sometimes.” Hana blushed softly. “Besides… Gal Gadot is amazing as Wonder Woman. The shade to big bold military guys is perfect” 

Angela found herself caught in a laugh. It made Hana blush, but she smiled back. “Ah, you’re right. I haven’t quite seen it yet. But I recall Princess Diana is quite the stickler to going against what men attempt to tell her to do. Its… Fitting” Angela said. 

They both exchanged warm smiles between their tired faces as the monologue to the movie started, and they settled in their spots to watch it. However, something minor still nagged at the back of Hana’s mind. “Um… Angela?” Hana perked up, and Angela turned to face her. 

“Hmm?” Angela noised

“Well…” Hana fidgeted with the popcorn bowl for a moment. “Um… you’re not… still upset about earlier… are you?” 

“About what happened outside?” Angela asked, and Hana nodded. The good doctor shook her head afterwards, and gave Hana a slight pat on the head. “No, Hana. I understand that you are worried for my wellbeing. You’re the first in a very long time to show concern for me like that. I’m not upset. I’m just so independent, I didn’t react positively” She explained. 

Nodding softly, Hana relaxed a bit more into the couch. Another little pat made Angela smile a bit brighter too. She retracted her hand, and started to focus on the movie itself, enjoying little Diana running around her village and watching the Amazons train. 

A good little while into the film, Angela felt a slight pressure on her shoulder. She turned to the side, and found a sleeping Hana laying on her shoulder. She felt a chuckle bubble in her chest, and allowed her to stay there for the moment. She could wake hana to go back to her room after the movie, she figured, and continued to watch as she too was starting to feel calmer and better. The peaceful setting of just the two of them enjoying the movie (well, sort of), was helping her ease. She did not feel alone in this moment, and eventually Angela too slid her eyes closed, if for just a moment. 

If just a moment meant a few hours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys will get a bit of a crash course in what Hana's nightmare was at some point, be it in this fanfic or another. You will for sure see the reality of Angela's nightmare in another fanfiction as well. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed, and if you have suggestions, ideas, comments or concerns as always feel free to comment on them~ I greatly appreciate anything you guys have to say. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	8. Level 8 - Connections

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Reinhardt proves he is a better dad than Jack Morrison.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chappy! Not so angsty, more fluffy! I hope you guys enjoy~

The relatively soft and peaceful snooze shared by the pair was quite unexpected, but more than welcome to their exhausted forms. Comfortable sighs and slight nuzzles, the pair seemed to be quite adorable cuddling against one another. It was as if they slept with one another to protect the other from the nightmares that shook their dreams earlier in the night.

When Angela stirred from her rest, it was to a large hand resting itself on her shoulder and shaking her. Humming softly, angela’s eyes fluttered open. Groggy at first, she did not quite remember that she was sleeping on a couch, or that she was not in her room at all. When her vision cleared up, she saw the figure of a large man above her and Hana both, and as her eyes trailed upwards until she met a white haired face, resembling that of a proud lions mane. 

“Oh… Guten Morgen, Reinhardt…” Angela’s voice was soft despite still being slurred with her sleep

Reinhardt’s face turned into a large smile as he tried to keep quiet. “Guten Morgen, Liebchen” He responded, his accent thicker than Angela’s in that moment. Unfortunately, his voice was still quite loud in volume, and it caused a squirming body against Angela to stir awake. 

Blushing, Angela moved to the side as Hana made noises, stretching out her limbs. By the time she was awake enough to notice Reinhardt, she squeaked and fell onto the other end of the couch. “A-Annyeong, Rein…” She stuttered out, looking between Angela on the couch and the tall crusader. 

The shy, embarrassed reactions from both women caused Reinhardt to stand up straight and laugh a hearty laugh. Angela’s face turned into a soft smile as she too started to giggle, and Hana straightened herself up on the couch. “You two like scaring the shit out of Korean girls, don’t you?” She grumbled unhappily, sitting up and collecting more of the blanket to herself. 

“Not at all, Hana!” Reinhardt smiled, and gave the smaller soldier a much deserved pat on her head. She grumbled and whined under the touch, despite the slight smile on her face afterwards. 

The interaction made Angela smile, and she graciously stood, stretching out her stiff muscles and popping her back in the process. “Thank you for waking us, Reinhardt. Please take care in your workouts today?” Angela requested, and Reinhardt nodded at his much smaller friend. 

“I promise you will not be needed for more than some companionship, Angela.” Reinhardt told her, and the doctor nodded. 

“Danke” She smiled softly, and picked herself up just enough to give his cheek a quick affectionate kiss, like one would give their own father before taking leave. 

As Angela departed the room, her face a little pinker than when she entered in the previous night, Hana pulled the blankets up to almost cover her face to hide her embarrassment. She kept her eyes to the floor, and was suddenly curious. Her wonder was answered as Reinhardt sat next to her and cleared his throat. “I uh, cleaned up the popcorn mess you and Angela made before waking you.” Reinhardt smiled, noticing Hana’s gaze. 

“Oh… uh, thanks, Grandpa.” Hana had a bit of a sheepish grin, and Reinhardt just beamed at her with a bright grin of his own.

“Its no trouble, little hase.” He gave her another gentle pat, and then relaxed a bit as Hana seemed to with the affectionate name. “No better activity than to admire a valiant warrior fight in the name of justice! Bwahaha!” 

Hana felt herself laugh a little with him. “Yeah. It is. That movie is a nice pick me up.” She said softly. 

“Angela doesn’t take breaks very often” Reinhardt informed Hana with a bit of a softer tone after the little laugh. “I”m glad I saw you two this morning cuddled up to one another with the menu screen of that movie up. You managed to get her to take a break from her work.” 

“Well…” Hana murmured slightly, hiding her expression. “I wouldn’t exactly call it a break from her work…” 

Reinhardt’s eyebrows raised a bit. “What would you call it then?” 

“A… Comfort” Hana responded, getting an idea of how to make a skilled excuse. “We… um. She had a nightmare. So I just wanted to hang out with her and make sure she was alright.” Hana’s tone built back up to one of solid confidence, and she turned towards Reinhardt with that confident little smile on her face. “She was in the hallways at the same time I was so I thought I could come watch a movie and comfort her!” 

Reinhardt showed a little bit of doubt to her story, having heard of this particular excuse before. He decided to not hurt the girl’s fragile pride, and instead gave her a pat on the back and smiled wildly. “I’m glad you decided to stay up and help Angela. That was very sweet of you, Hana.” he complimented her. There was a fatherly tone behind his thick accented voice, and Hana could feel her heart flutter slightly in her chest from the praise.

_”Angela said her parents died to the start of the first Omnic Crisis… Reinhardt must be the closest thing to a father she has.”_ Hana thought. Seeing the pleasant smile and the warm appreciation in his expression, it must have been true. 

With her thoughts distracting her, Hana did not even realize how spaced out she must have been until Reinhardt started speaking again. “Angela… Used to have a very difficult time around the base by herself when she started as the lead Medical Researcher here.” He started, and Hana suddenly focused in to listen. “Her nightmares were very frequent the first few months. Ana would sometimes be able to comfort her, but when it wasn’t Ana, it was me. The expression she had ad the things she cried for, well we both understood. We helped her through those first months” Reinhardt seemed to have lost himself in his little description, then turned to hana with a smile. “I’m glad you were able to help her where Ana and I couldn’t” 

“Yeah…” Hana rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly, a bright red blush over her cheeks for whatever reason. 

“You’re trying to be her friend, aren’t you?” Reinhardt asked her, and Hana perked up. 

‘I… um… y-yeah.” Hana straightened up. For whatever reason, sharing the concept of being friends with Angela to other people made her flustered, and at the same time it also was not quite the correct description.

Reinhardt smiled fondly at Hana and gave her a pat. “Take you time with trying to befriend her, Hana. She’s stubborn, but trustworthy.” He told her with a gentle smile. 

Hana took a slight nod, and she kept her gaze down. “We keep getting stuck. We’ll get close, then something messes it up. We get close again, and something messes it up. We had a fight last night before we went to bed… about… about…” 

“Her cigarettes?” Reinhardt finished for her, and Hana nodded. 

“Yeah.” Hana responded. 

Reinhardt gave a nod in confirmation. “We’ve all had a talk with her from time to time. It’s not as bad as it used to be.” 

“It’s not?” Hana tilted her head, and Reinhardt nodded approvingly. 

“She was already quite twitchy before. When Jesse started to share his with her she would be on her way every hour if not more often. A least now, when I’ve checked in she’s been honest in telling me she’s only had one every few days when she gets stressed out. It’s much better than she has been in the past.” Reinhardt told her. 

Hana pulled her legs up beneath her into a cross legged position under the blanket as she seemed to contemplate this information. “Gotcha… so it really is a stress relief thing. I hope she doesn’t pick it up more.” Hana mumbled. 

“Patience and talking to her will keep her wound down” The Crusader smiled at the younger soldier, and stood. “I have weights to lift! Take care, Hana” 

With that, Reinhardt left. Hana was alone in the Rec Room with her thoughts, and the also dark tv screen.

\--- --- --- 

 

Angela was blushing the entire way back to the Medical Bay, and into her office. She did not bother going and getting dressed in actual clothes, wanting the Medical Bay to be open in case someone needed something. 

She slipped a spare pair of slacks on behind her desk, and was just settling in and started up her computer when a gentle knock came to her door. 

“Come in!” She called, focused on the login screen as she reached for a non-existent cup of coffee. 

Reinhardt stepped in with a soft smile on his face, after having that chat with Hana. There was quite the twinkle in his eye as he leaned against the wall. “How are you doing, Liebe?” He asked her in as gentle of a voice as possible, and she peered up from her computer. 

“Oh. Hello again Reinhardt.” Angela greeted softly, turning to give him her full attention. “I’m… I’m alright. I had a rough night.” 

Reinhardt nodded. “So I heard from Hana. Taking up Smoking as a relaxation method, are we Angela?” 

The Swiss doctor looked down in embarrassment. “Well… It was one, Rein. I promise you it wasn’t any more than that.” 

A deep chuckle rumbled from his chest. “I know, Liebe. Hana told me you two fought over it?” He questioned. 

Angela crossed her arms, but her position did not improve. “She kept pushing me on why i was smoking in the first place… I was growing frustrated that she was trying to tell me how i should try to relieve my own stresses” Angela mumbled, a hint of frustration in her tone. 

The Crusader raised his hands up in some kind of mild surrender. “You know that is not the first nor the last time someone will fight you on that habit, Angela.” Reinhardt reminded her. 

“I know” Angela sighed. “I don’t quite understand why she seems so opposed. She’s rather touchy on the subject, I feel, but she’s yet to give me an excuse.” 

“Does anyone need an excuse to show concern for a friend?” Reinhardt raised a knowing eyebrow, and Angela felt herself shrink under his gaze. 

“Well, no…” 

“Maybe Hana is just worried for her friend, Angela. She’s just looking out for you” Reinhardt said softly. “How do you feel about that girl anyhow, Angela? Coming to Overwatch at such a young age.” 

With that, the doctor relaxed just a little. It seemed she’d be avoiding a scolding today. “I… I’m not quite sure” Angela responded gently. “She’s… a unique individual. I’ve seen her slipping from being an absolute child to a young soldier in seconds, same goes for the other way around. She’s… Unlike anyone else in this place that I’ve ever seen… I can’t pin what it is. Every time I think I understand her, something changes.” Angela explained. 

Reinhardt smiled. “Well. She is quite young, Liebe. Maybe its a similarity you see?” 

“What do you mean? I’m 37” Angela frowned. 

“Not when you first joined Overwatch” That little knowing smile Reinhardt had beneath his mustache, “How old were you again?” 

“Mein Gott, I can’t even remember myself” Angela sighed. 

Reinhardt nodded, a smile building on his face. The same expression a know-it-all father would have. “Much younger than anyone else except Jesse. We don’t need to revisit what happened thanks to that cowboy, do we?” 

“No.” Angela’s response came with a slight groan, and Reinhardt laughed. 

“I think you see yourself in Hana. The young soldier that everyone underestimates.” Reinhardt came over and patted Angela on the back. “Beyond that… It is also my guess that you two share quite a few of the same issues. Like trouble sleeping.” 

“And nightmares” Angela muttered under her breath, but Reinhardt failed to acknowledge it. “Alright, alright. I get it, you old lion.” 

The crusader laughed some more and bent to give Angela a hug. “You’re doing well, Angela. Just try not to shut the poor girl out. SHe seems to like you” 

Angela hummed in confirmation, then perked up. “Hold on. What are you insinuating?” 

He gave her a wink and stood. “Don’t worry about it Liebe. Just be nice to her. I think she may see you as a rolemodel. Keep true to who you are on the inside, Angela. You may find its much easier to get along with her than you think.” The old soldier gave her a pat on the shoulder before taking his leave from her office with a broad smile on his face.

Angela sighed deeply and hid her face in her hands, groaning audibly as she rubbed the last little bits of sleep from her eyes. She muttered several German curses under her breath as well, and perked back up to attempt to start her work once more. Although, Reinhardt’s words did give her a little bit of food for thought. 

_”Keep true to my heart, huh?”_

\--- --- ---

Working steadily for an hour, Angela was pulled from her research and work when a soft knock came to her door. Sighing audibly, she left up her focus from the word document she had open. “Come in” 

Hana poked her head inside, now fully dressed in her training outfit with wet hair tied up in a tight bun. “Hey, Doc.” Hana said softly. 

“Hello, Hana.” Angela responded gently, her entire disposition relaxing upon seeing her visitor. 

Smiling at the soft response, Hana came in completely and handed Angela a blank mug from the Overwatch kitchen. “I um… wasn't sure if you went to your room and got yourself coffee or not. So, I got some for you.” 

A smile warmed her heart. “Thank you, Hana. I appreciate that.” She reached out and took the mug from Hana’s hands, and took a sip, humming in delight. “Still warm too… Danke…” She murmured in delightful appreciation. 

Hana blushed a little, but beamed. “I tried finding what smelled like the coffee you usually make. I know all your coffee things are in your room.” She explained. 

The doctor hummed lightly and savored the warm mug. “You’re very thoughtful, Hana. Thank you very much.” 

Hana nodded, and took up her usual seat as Angela went back to work. She tapped her foot a few times before humming up a sentence. “Hey, Angela? Thank you.” 

“Hmm? For what?” Angela questioned. 

“... For helping me last night. Coming in and comforting me after… after my nightmare. I…. I don't usually get support from anyone. Hell, I don't tell anyone” Hana let her gaze remain on the floor, her entire body language sinking. “... I… I’m young. You know that already. If… if anyone here… In Overwatch knew about all these things wrong with me… They’ll think I’m a child more than they already do. I want them to know I’m a capable soldier, not… not a scared little girl.” 

Angela felt her heart ping with sympathy while Hana explained herself, and she glanced over. That defeated disposition, the particular expression she wore, That was something completely uncharacteristic of the young gamer in front of her. “Oh, Hana… You’re not a child for these problems.” Angela started off. “After all, I have these problems too. We both have insomnia and night terrors. I’m not immature or any less of an adult because I have these issues.” 

“But… you’re older, and everyone around here knows you, Doc.” Hana responded with a huff in her voice, still glancing down. It was evident that this topic was like her kryptonite. “I’m 19, not everyone knows me very well… If i were to tell someone I have nightmares and can’t sleep, they’d just call me an irresponsible little kid, and THey wouldn’t think I belong here… that already happened before… I just… I’m trying to be a bigger, stronger person...” 

Angela reached across her desk, taking one of Hana’s hands with kind eyes. “Hana, Liebling, just because you may need help through these problems, does not mean you’re weak. Every soldier has these problems in some variety. You do, I do, Reinhardt, Lena, everyone on base has memories of the past that haunt them. We’ve turned these pasts, into strengths, Hana. But we have not done it alone. You’re already so strong on your own, Hana. But if you trust someone… Anyone, you’ll be an even stronger woman than before.” 

The change in Hana’s disposition, the widening of her eyes as tears started to fill them, and the shocked glance up with each word. Angela was smiling with every word she said, brushing her thumb over Hana’s hand. 

The exchange of trust in faith in that moment really brought the tears out of Hana’s eyes, and she broke out in a big smile. “... Thanks, Angie.” She said softly. 

“No problem, Hana.” Angela responded softly. “I… I’ve been in your place before. I understand how you feel. I’m here if you need me.” 

“You’ll be my guardian angel?” Hana grinned cheekily. 

Angela bit back a snort, trying not to laugh at Hana’s little pun. “If you feel the need to think of me that way, then sure, Hana. I’ll be your guardian Angel.” 

The young woman grinned brightly at Angela’s agreement. “Thanks, Angela” She greeted, and pulled her chair over to the side of Angela’s desk. “So.. You should totally show me how your nanite research is going.” 

“You keep up with that?” Angela asked her curiously. 

“Yeah” Hana responded softly. “I’ve read a lot of your published papers. The ones in English, anyway. I haven’t really learned German to read those ones.” 

Angela blushed, but smiled softly. “Well. I could transcribe for you, if you’d like.” 

“Really?” Hana beamed. “You’d do that?” 

“Why not?” The doctor smiled. She turned her monitor a little more so that Hana could view the diagrams, and Angela started opening some of her German research documents. 

For the rest of the day, not counting a few bumps and bruises from other teammates, Angela read her reports and research documents for Hana to hear. The young soldier was more than intrigued the entire time, and found it to be quite the bonding experience.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nothing like an extra little voice of reason to pick you up, huh? Reinhardt is best supportive dad and Ana is best supportive mom, well, when Ana appears, anyway. They'll make the best little duo when they get together to help Angela and Hana build their relationship. It's gonna be cute as shit. 
> 
> As always I'd love any comments, concerns, or suggestions you guys have for me. I'm all ears whenever! Have a nice day <3


	9. Level 9 - Not So Rainy Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angela and Hana take a day off and enjoy it inside together.
> 
> Alternatively, Angela is forced to socialize because her fellow medics took her keys to the Medical Bay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoiii! I enjoyed writing this chapter, its so fucking sugar coated it'll give you cavities. At least I personally think so. I hope you guys enjoy it!

For once in her life, Angela found herself (almost) willingly taking a day off from work. 

Walking into the Medical Bay later than usual, she found Zenyatta, Stephenos, and Lucio, a freedom fighter medic from Brazil, already in the room and talking amongst one another. Cheerful smiles were on their faces, and from the tone and whirr of Zenyatta’s circuits, Angela could tell he too was quite happy. The scene told Angela two things. 

One, there were four times the medical staff than at the start of the Recall. 

Two, Angela could already tell that the smiles on the boys’ faces were some of mischievous intent, particularly against her.

That lead Angela to be pushed and nudged out of the Medical Bay that morning by all three of them, followed by an endearing parting message from Stephenos. “You deserve a good break, Doctor Ziegler! Please get some rest and enjoy yourself today!” 

After she tried twice to get back into her own Medical Bay, being shoved out all the while, she gave in to the forced day off. Angela started back up to her room, holding her cooling mug of coffee in her hands while looking into it contemplatively. What could she do if she was not in her office completing her research? The answer was obscure at first, until she saw that familiar figure in front of her. 

“Angela!” Hana smiled, jogging up to meet her in a gentle hug. She was careful to not spill the coffee, and grinned up at the older woman’s face. “How are you??”

The good doctor smiled softly into the embrace, and pulled away from Hana’s arms. “Good morning, Hana.” She responded. “I’m alright… although, my colleagues just shut me out of my own Medical Bay, and confiscated the keys to my lab.” 

Hana snorted at the idea. “Really? They locked you out? What for, to experiment on themselves without morality getting in the way?” 

“Apparently, they think I need a break from work.” Angela sipped her coffee, and Hana’s face broke out into quite the big grin. 

“Everyone needs a break. In fact, I’m taking one today too. That’s why I didn’t catch ya going to your office this morning.” She gave the doctor a swift little wink. 

She caught it, and kept her warm smile. “Well, if you’re taking the day off, What did you have in mind to actually go do?” 

Hana shifted her weight, and hummed her thought. “I was gonna actually just stay in my room and play Starcraft after I said hello to you. It doesn’t quite feel right starting my day without it.” 

That brought a soft blush to both of their faces, and Angela’s smile grew just a little bit wider as she rapidly contemplated her next words. “Well… what if I were to join you?” Angela inquired. 

At that, Hana’s face lit up in a deep red. “Huh? Join me? Like, watch me play?” 

“Yes.” Angela nodded. “You’re so interested in my medical research. I think I’d like to learn about your games.” 

The soft smile that came with this confession made Hana freeze for a moment, taking in every little detail and genuine expression. Then, her own smile grew to be three times the size of Angela’s, the excitement she was feeling at that moment was absolutely nothing compared to what the doctor had seen from her before. 

“W-Well, great!” Hana exclaimed, practically bouncing along the walls with her heart fluttering in her chest. “Um, get into something comfy, and come back to my room! You have your fancy ID card so just let yourself in. I’ll set up the game and I’ll show you how it works!” 

The older woman nodded. “Will do, Hana. Thank you for letting me observe.” She said softly. 

“No Problem, Doctor Z!” Hana grinned, and had a rather excited gait as she walked back to her room. Angela rolled her eyes with a little smile, shaking her head. Letting Hana get that excited may have been a mistake, she figured, but found it more than amusing. The idea of Hana so happy filled her heart with its own special kind of fondness that made her blush. Of course, making people happy and bringing smiles to their faces was almost part of her job description. 

Meanwhile, Hana scampered back to her room, and hastily pressed her ID to the door to open it. Once she slipped in, she fell to her bed, letting out excited giggles and laughs. Something about showing Angela what made Hana happy the most was an exciting concept. Not willing to disappoint the good doctor, Hana quickly calmed herself, and pulled out an extra folded chair that Angela could sit on while watching the gameplay. She pulled out a few hidden, small snacks too, and woke her computer up from its ‘sleep’ function, quickly booting up Starcraft. 

She remained giddy in her own chair until the door opened up with a swoosh. Hana turned to face Angela as she walked in, and felt a soft blush creepy over her face. Angela was still mildly professional even when she had ‘comfy’ clothes on, that still being her Overwatch-issued turtleneck and a pair of sweatpants. The doctor walked to Hana’s desk with a soft smile, sitting in the spare chair just for her. “You’re set up already.” Angela observed, and Hana nodded, quickly gaining her composure back. 

“Yeah! All set up, Doc.” Hana smiled, scooting to make sure Angela could see the screen fine. “I’ll start off in the tutorial again-” A lightbulb seemed to go off in her head. “Hey, Angela. Do you wanna play through the tutorial?” 

“Me?” Angela perked up. “I won’t mess with your progress, or your file or anything like that?” 

“Not at all” Hana smiled, and slid her mouse and keyboard over enough so that Angela could reach them. “You don’t always play with other people. There is the campaign mode. I think it would really help you out in trying to understand the game. Better than me just explaining it, that is.” Hana smiled. 

Angela glanced between the menu of the game, and the keyboard. A thoughtful expression came over her face, before her soft smile returned. “Alright. Maybe I will.” 

Hana pumped her fist into the air with abit of a gleeful shout, and grinned at Angela. “Great! Okay, so go to single player, and make a new ID…” 

\--- --- ---

“Smashed em!” Hana jumped up as Angela completed part of the game. Finished with the Backwater Station episode, Hana beamed bright at Angela who seemed… still quite confused at the concept of the game, but was also pleased. 

“You think so, Hana?” She chuckled a little, glad to have made the gamer so happy. 

“Yeah” Hana responded, and just sat there with a silly grin. THe whole situation brought about happiness to the young soldier. “No one around here knows how to play these games. Well, okay, Lucio knows about the pro scene and all, but I don’t think he really has an interested in playing. So, I don’t really have anyone to share my interest with this personally, it makes me really happy that you decided to try. So thank you, Angela” 

The doctor blushed slightly under Hana’s admiration and gaze, and she too, let out a little bit of a giggle. “Well… Games never interested me. Not like these. But, I thought since you take so much of an interest to my research, I could give your pro games a try.” 

Hana was not quite sure what did it for her. The absolutely adorable smile on Angela’s face, how her voice sounded so genuine in that moment, or just the overall pleased atmosphere they both were in. Hana felt her heart flutter in her chest while an even bigger blush stretched over her face. She could not stop smiling either, as she leaned over to give Angela a gentle hug. The doctor seemed quite embarrassed too, despite her happiness, and gave Hana a soft hug back. 

“Thanks, Angela” Hana smiled. 

“For what, Hana?” Angela raised her eyebrows as Hana pulled back, scratching the back of her head and beaming. 

“For taking an interest in me.” The soldier said. 

Now _that_ made both of them flush a noticeable red, and Hana quickly realized what kind of insinuation she was making. Both of their hearts started to skip a few beats, and Hana was the first to really react. 

“Not, Not like that of course!” She suddenly blurted, scooting away only slightly. “I-I just mean… me, as a person. Trying to get to know me and all, cause we’re friends! We...we are friends, right?” 

“Of-Of course” Angela snapped out of the embarrassed gaze, and she tried to straighten her composure. “We’re friends, Hana. I’d like to think so. Just… friends.” 

Nodding at one another, confirming their little blunders. Hana herself started to push her gaze down, and hold back some nervous muttering. Angela looked back to the computer screen, and scanned its details of the pixelated background and menu. They sat in silence for a good moment or two, before Angela turned to Hana and cleared her throat to get the young soldier’s attention. “Um.. Hana. Would you… Like to watch more movies instead of playing Starcraft?” 

Hana perked up at the idea, and gave a slight nod. “Yeah. Movies sound great. In the Rec Room?” 

Angela looked back down, thoughtful of the decision at hand. SHe hummed, and although it brought that embarrassed blush back stronger than before, she looked back up at hana. “Would… It be alright if we watched them in my room? I rather not have someone walking in on me… slacking.” 

Hana flushed, but nodded. “I rather not have people see me being so cuddly either.” She responded, her voice barely a mumble to Angela’s ear. She heard her none the less, and she stood, stretching out her back as she often did. Her shirt tugged up this time as she did, and Hana turned her gaze away out of decency (and a bit of panic). 

“I can give you clearance. You can gather whatever movies and snacks you’d like while I set up my space for you. Does that sound like a plan?” She asked, and Hana nodded. 

With that, Angela gave Hana a small pat on her shoulder, and she left the room. Hana stared blankly at it for a minute or two, blinking while the last few minutes of interaction really sunk in. Did… they just flirt with each other? Or… 

_”Nah. No, that wasn’t flirting at all. Angela can’t possibly be into girls anyway. She’s so proud and distinguished, I’m sure somewhere she has a boyfriend or fiance or something. I mean, I didn’t see a ring, but…”_ Hana contemplated the evidence, laying her head on her arms on the desk. _”I’m not into her or anything, but, she can’t possibly be single. I mean… She did tell me later on that Fareeha… well. That;s just more evidence that she has to be straight. See? No attraction at all whatsoever, you itty bitty gay mess.”_ Hana nodded to herself, and immediately drove the idea of attraction from her mind. 

It practically worked, and she jumped up from her chair. She started digging around her room, and once she found a few movies to her liking, she ran out to get snacks to boot. 

\--- --- --- 

Angela set a hot pot of water beside two mugs on a coffee table. Her living space was quite like a small, one bedroom apartment, so her room was closed off from outsider’s view. There was a desk with some of her work on it against one wall, and a small kitchen off to the side. It was enough to make small meals, keep some snacks, but nothing too fancy. If her intention was ever to make a full meal, she would have to go to the base’ kitchen to do it. Her coffee maker was the most used object in her entire room, but at least there was a small entertainment set up with a DVD player and Television, perfect for a little movie stay over. 

Angela hummed, glancing around at her ‘living room’ area. It was rather… bland compared to Hana’s room, having been decorated with championship posters and advertisements. “She won’t mind…” Angela mumbled to herself, turning back to her kitchen to grab hot chocolate packets. She’d typically make it a more… traditional way, but for the ease of not cleaning much more than she had to, she decided the packets would do. 

She hummed, tapping her foot after seemingly having everything they may or may not have needed. When a knock came to her door, she jumped, but had a welcome smile on her face. Walking over and allowing the door to slide open for Hana. 

The excited young soldier had several movies in her arms, healthy chips, and a popped bag of popcorn that had yet to be opened. All the while, a bright smile covered her face and showed her excitement and pleasure at getting to hang out some more with Angela. “I grabbed a bunch of snacks from the kitchen, and popcorn too. I have a lot of movies we can watch.” 

She pushed past Angela, who simply shook her head with a soft smile. “I”m glad to see you’re prepared. What movies did you happen to grab?” She questioned

“A lot of my favorites” Hana said, beginning to sprawl them out for Angela to look at. “They’re um. Mostly… uh, very romantic and modern though. You’re… you’re okay with that, right?” 

“Well, of course. I consider myself to be quite a modern woman. Romance movies are always a treat to see superficial affection and laugh about it.” Angela said as she walked over, glancing at the choices Hana displayed. “Hm… I haven’t seen _Saving Face_ before.” 

“Neither have I.” Hana said. “I was told it was scandalous and filled with a family keeping secrets. We can watch it first since we haven’t seen it.” 

She picked up the case and walked over to the DVD player while Angela sat down on the couch, watching as Hana worked her magic on the devices. She picked up a piece of popcorn and tossed it into her mouth as Hana came back and flopped herself in the space next to Angela. “We’re gonna be here a while with all of this.” Hana snickered. “You okay with that?” 

“As long as I can avoid another flustering instance with Reinhardt.” Angela smiled. 

Hana snickered, and picked up the remote. As she skipped through the trailers, she decided on bringing up a rather touchy subject. “Angela. You said you had friends before, a while back. Do you really have more friends than me and Reinhardt?” 

Angela bit the inside of her lip, and stiffened her posture. “That’s a rather crude question to ask, don’t you think?” 

“I’m curious. You don’t hang out with anyone else around the base, you’re always free when I come to talk to you, and you always come right back to your room at the end of your shift. Do you really have any?” Hana asked. 

The doctor sighed and started pouring herself out hot water for the hot chocolate. “I do, actually. I just… don’t talk with them often. I don’t typically get very personal with people.” Angela explained. 

Hana nodded along, and contemplated it. She drummed her fingers on the remote while it settled on the select menu, and turned back to Angela. “Well… I’m glad you decided to get more personal with me.” Hana responded. 

Angela nodded simply, and stirred the powder in her mug while Hana started the movie. SHe was silent, with little to say in response. She hummed, and tapped her spoon against the mug. “... And thank you, Hana.” 

“Huh? For what?” Hana turned towards her new friend, Angela’s gaze focused on her drink. 

“For opening up to me, and Getting me to open up in return. I’ve… never had such a close friend before. It’s… Nice” Angela said softly.

“This isn’t even the closest friends get, Angela” Hana smiled warmly. 

The doctor cocked an eyebrow up in response. “Hm? Really?” 

“Nah. I’ve had a best friend where i stayed in her house a week straight just so we could hang out together! We told each other gross secrets and started rating people on how hot we were. Of course that’s a more juvenile activity but, it was still funny.” Hana chuckled at the memory, and Angela felt herself smile too, even if just a little bit. 

“Well, what kind of friendship do you hope we have, Hana?” Angela asked her softly, genuine concern in her voice. 

“Us? Huh…” Hana paused the movie before the monologues, and leaned back. “... I just want us to trust each other and be able to help each other if we need it… You’re good at reading people; well, you’re a doctor, you have to be… Just… Hmm” She gave up turning to face Angela and look her in the eyes. Angela became a little more alert in response, and they watched each other's faces. There was a slight blush on both of their cheeks, and Hana’s gaze flicked downward. 

“We both have a lot of the same… problems.” Hana decided. “... So… we can mutually agree to come to one another when we’re having these problems. Ya know?” 

“I understand” Angela responded softly, and she nodded along. She drummed her fingers along her mug, and settled in the statement. It was heartfelt… and it made her chest flutter. The idea that they could get along just by supporting one another… well, it was not the craziest idea to make a friendship that Angela heard. That kind of solidarity friendship they could have, well it was much better than any other way. “I rather like that idea.” 

Hana nodded, smiling at Angela. They both admired one another’s smiles for only a moment, before those soft blushes from earlier returned, creeping up on each others faces and making quite the scene. Angela covered a cheek, and turned away, hiding her fond smile. Hana simply looked down, then back at the TV screen. 

“Can we start the movie, then?” Hana smiled, raising up the remote. 

“Of course” Angela nodded, and took a sip. “I’m eager to see this.” 

“Same here” the gamer grinned, picking up a bag of chips to nom on. “Want one?” 

“Maybe after the taste of chocolate fades from my mouth and doesn’t make it disgusting.” 

“Pffff. Alright, Angela.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And they spent the rest of the afternoon watching cute romance movies with the occasional lesbian scene that caused Hana to blush. 
> 
> I thought that this was needed, a day inside to learn a little bit more about each other, and Hana's the first one to start questioning herself~ Poor little lesbean. Just to sate everyone's curiosity now, I HC these two as Lesbian for Hana, and Bi for Angela.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you guy's enjoyed the chapter and with hope i should have 10 up before the night is over. (Actually, looking at my outline, that requires a whole day to focus on, so maybe not) Thank you all for reading if you did, and I always take any comments and suggestions y'all may have <3


	10. Level 10 - Snow Day (Checkpoint!)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hana decides to bring the spirit of Christmas to Angela, despite not being too into the holiday herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes!! I would have gotten this out sooner but unfortunately I had an assignment I did not anticipate to take my attention this weekend! It’s longer than normal so that should help make up for my poor timing. I hope y’all enjoy!

Christmas Eve, despite being very readily celebrated by Lena and a few other members of base quite estatically, Angela did not join in the customary celebration. Neither did Hana, evidently, as she sat with the doctor that morning with an amused huff. It seemed the more cheery members had decided to assault Angela’s office with decorations. 

Angela payed it no mind, sipping on her coffee as she scanned her emails. “... Plenty of digital cards from my colleagues, it seems…” She muttered nonchalantly, clearly still quite drowsy. Her coffee was having very little effect to stir her awake this time. 

Hana’s eyes lingered on the musty old cup, but they gravitated back to Angela’s face. “... Do you even celebrate Christmas, Doc?” 

“No… Well” A thoughtful look came over her face as she took her mug into her hands, almost cradling it. “I used to before the initial shutdown. It was a nice little thing to focus on that wasn't necessarily war. It was a welcome distraction and most everyone seemed to have something for it. But, this time around, I think i’m a little too busy and deep in this research to really get… get a grasp of the holiday this year” 

The gamer nodded, and leaned forward a bit. “So, you’re just gonna lock yourself up in here, huh?” 

“Mm… Not quite” Angela responded. She stared into her coffee for a moment, drumming her fingers around the mug. “I might join the others tomorrow for dinner but… That’s about it. What about you, Hana?” 

She perked up. “Me? I’ve never celebrated Christmas.” 

“Oh…” Angela responded, seemingly a little disappointed. She put her cup down and looked at Hana, trying to offer up a soft smile. “Would you like to spend Christmas with me then? Watching movies?” 

A soft smile graced Hana’s face. “That.. doesn’t sound too bad, Doc. Do they have to be those cheesy holiday movies?” 

“No, no” Angela chuckled in return, and started tapping away on her computer, scanning her files and test results. Hana then turned her gaze to the floor, continuing to space out as she thought to herself. IT was a comfortable silence for a few short moments, until Hana stood and stretched out her back. 

“I’ve got training. I’ll come check on your later, okay?” Hana smiled with a bit of a wink, and Angela looked up from the computer. 

She gave a curt smile to Hana and gave her a slight wave, but when the young soldier left her office, she felt a faint frown. 

_”...its… as if whenever she leaves…. Hmm…”_ Angela drummed her fingers along her keyboard seemingly focused on the situation, or rather lack of one. 

“Doctor Ziegler! Good morning!”

Stephenos’ voice caused Angela to jump in her chair, and she turned to him. “G… Guten Morgen, Liebe.” She responded, reverting to German out of her shock. As she started to converse with her younger colleague and listened to him ramble on and on, Angela felt as if there was something just a little bit different about talking with him. _”Despite his cheery disposition and positive attitude… he doesn’t bring as much satisfaction and happiness as Hana does when she’s around me…”_ she thought at some point through her conversation. A slight blush covered her face at the realization. But what did that mean, though? Enjoying a bitter teenagers presence more than that of a cultured adult such as Stephenos… “... But why…?”

The younger doctor in front of her noticed her distraction now, after she had started to mutter to herself. He put a caring hand on her shoulder to gently shake her from her rouse with a gentle smile. “Doctor Ziegler? Are you alright?” He asked her softly. 

“Huh…?” The older woman was barely aware that she zoned out (Even despite being completely distracted and hardly keeping track of conversation), and she looked at Stephenos’ face. When she finally seemed to come to, He gave her an even bigger soft smile. “If you need to take a day to yourself again, Angela, you should do so.” He advised. 

“I’m fine dear, don’t worry.” Angela offered him a kind smile in response, patting his hand before he took it back. “Only a little distracted with my latest, hypothesis.” The slight pause only allowed her to present a bigger smile to sell her reasonable excuse

It seemed to work, and he nodded, hands on his hips and beaming proudly. “Okay then! I’ll leave you to it, I know you can do it Angela.” Stephenos gave her a cheery thumbs up, and departed to his daily tasks. With the distraction from her previous distraction gone, Angela sighed and rubbed her temples to soothe her troubled mind. She could already feel a coarse headache start up in her skull from all of frustration and confusion. 

_“What is it about that troublesome gamer that makes my day so much nicer…”_ She found herself wondering, groaning into her own hands for some form of sympathy. 

\--- --- --- 

Through Hana’s little search, she felt the need to seek out a close friend of Angela’s to really get the information she needed. It was going to be Christmas after all. To Hana, that meant the good doctor needed whatever gift she could get for her. Her initial thought was Reinhardt, but the proud lion was surely out there already, working roughly on his physique and strength. Ever since Ana made her reappearance to Overwatch, shortly after Fareeha’s return, he had been much more determined to look as if he was still a young man at heart, more so than usual. He was automatically out of the question. 

Another thought came to mind, and her feet stirred her in the direction of the kitchen. _“Lena! She’s Angela’s Friend isn’t she? She should know a little something about the doc for gifts.”_ The gamer grinned widely while she picked up a minor sprint. It took her to the main doors where the other members would walk in, and she tried cooking her composure before walking in. Among a few other selective members, Mei and Ana included chatting In the main part, the chipper Lena Oxton was leaning against the counter with a teacup in her hands. Upon noticing Hana she gave a little wave. “Morning, Hana~!” She smiled taking a sip of her tea afterwards.

“Hey, Lena” Hana slid by the Brit with a grin on her face. “Think you could help me out with something?” 

“Sure thing love, whatcha need?” Lena gave her full attention, shoulders squared and all.

Hana’s smile got a little bigger. “I need to pick your brain about the Doc. She likes coffee, right? How much exactly.” 

Lena snickered and leaned against the counter, Hana deciding to climb up to sit on it. “I’m surprised she doesn’t bleed coffee by now. It’s practically all I see Angela drinking most of the time. She likes hot coco in the winter too, and starts drinkin’ that through the day instead of her coffee. Why? Thinkin’ of finding her a special brew for the holidays?” She questioned, giving the bag a few dips to diffuse. 

“Something like that. I just wanted to l know how often she uses a mug during the day” Hana said a bit sheepishly. Angela was not quite Angela without that dusty Overwatch mug in her hands. 

“If you’re lookin’ to get her a special mug, There’s a ceramics shop in Spain not too far from the border. Earth and Fire I think it was called” Lena said, tapping her spoon against her cup in thought. “I think you can paint your own mug for her there. Hm… while you’re out, Angela really likes Swiss Chocolates too. Any kind really. She just loves the taste way more than any other chocolate. Jesse brought American chocolates to us once and we almost threw up, they were so horrible.” Lena started to laugh, but straightened up. Clearly, she said something right as Hana’s expression lit up like a Christmas light, much to the young Brits approval.

“That sounds perfect!” Hana hopped up excitedly, practically about to burst in happiness. “Thanks Lena! I’m gonna skimp practice today, tell Winston I won’t be at training!” She quickly dashed out of the kitchen, and Lena hummed while sipping her tea with a much more pleased smile. She shook her head at Hana’s enthusiasm, and decided to join Ana and Mei in conversation.

\--- --- --- 

Now, not seeing Hana during the rest of the day sometimes was a common occurrence for the young gamer, as she very frequently was engrossed with her training. However, her not even being seen the next morning was a cause for some concern for Angela. She was fidgety as she tried working on some documents, her coffee mug rather shaky whenever she reached up to take a sip of it. 

She had been alone all day thus far, Hana did not even come bid her good morning… which was even more disheartening due to the fact it was christmas of all days. She knew Hana did not celebrate the holiday, but Angela had some hope she would show some acknowledgement for the others. Maybe she would show up at dinner. 

To distract herself, there were lines of text, a written report of her most recent experiment regarding nicotine and the nanites, attempting to see what they could do when combined together. The results of course were… lackluster. The further down she read, the more disappointed she became, and set her computer on the coffee table with a frustrated groan. A rubbing of her temples as she reclined back in her spot made her sigh in slight content, but it hardly put her at ease. _”Christmas my ass… just as big of a headache as the days before it… And with Hana MIA.. Hold on… Why do I care so much in the first place? Shes just… A soldier. I’m sure shes fine… Probably… playing a game somewhere with Lucio or Genji… She’s fine. Not your concern…”_ A worried expression dawned over her face, her thoughts taking a trip over the deep end. 

She took a few more careful sips of her coffee, humming into the lip of her mug. Careful eyes fluttered across her screen and she shut her eyes. “... Perhaps a trip back to the lab will soothe me. Provided Stephenos doesn’t shove me out…” She muttered to herself, and set her mug down to stand. 

Her door made some form of noise at that point, and she looked over at it, slightly hunched over with a squinted look. “Hm…?” 

“Gotcha!” 

The door slid open, and there was the cheery expression of Hana, bundled up tightly in a thick Overwatch issued coat and carrying… quite a load. “Heya, Angie!” She smiled, letting the door slide closed behind her. 

Angela was up in an instant, walking over a bit too quickly and hugging Hana tightly. “Hana! You’re alright…” She murmured. 

Blinking, the young soldier took a moment before hugging Angela back tightly. “Of course I’m okay! I’m number one after all~” Hana chuckled before wiggling away from Angela. She put her bags down before shrugging off the coat, then picked a box out of the bag. It was sloppily wrapped in yellow paper, looking as if a five year old had tried wrapping it. Hana had a proud blush on her face as she offered it out to Angela, her smile and happiness completely contageous. “Merry Christmas, Angie~!”

It took Angela a second to really grasp what exactly Hana was offering her, and she grabbed the box carefully. “A… gift? Hana, I… I dont even have anything for you- I thought you didn’t celebrate?” Angela looked at her with a confused look. 

The gamer shrugged, putting her hands behind her back with a wink. “Yeah, but you work so hard i figured you needed a little something. A personalized thing, ya know?” She smiled. She bent down to pick up the rest of the bag mess, and carried it to Angela’s coffee table. “Well? Are you gonna open it or not?” 

“Oh… right. Yes.” Angela felt her little blush get deeper as she walked back over to her place, sitting where she was. She gave Hana a small glance, feeling a deep flutter in her chest at the endearing gaze the gamer gave her, almost too excited to see the gift be opened. A gentle smile covered Angela’s face as she too became too giddy to open her present. She started tearing the wrapping paper, and came to a white box underneath. Neatly signed on the lid with Hana’s signature, Angela felt herself chuckle. Maybe she’d save it for a novelty~ 

Popping the lid itself open, then pulling out the delicate object, Angela felt a new sort of feeling. Something she had not felt in close to eight years. Golden wings adorned the mug, with a halo in between. There was also a plus sign between them, colored red, while the rest of the mug was a pearly white. It almost resembled an inverse Swiss flag, and also the concept of a medic, with the personal item of wings clearly depicting an Angel. On the bottom, was _”Merry Christmas, Angie. Love, Hana. 2076”_. Angela could almost feel the slight tears pricking her eyes. 

“Hana… Did you, make this mug for me?” The doctor asked, allowing the design to face Hana. 

It brought a rather large grin to Hana’s face, pride shining in her hazel eyes. “Yeah! You use the same old dusty Overwatch mug all the time. I figured you’d like something more personal to tote around.” She became a little bit more modest, and looked up into Angela’s face. “You uh… do like it, right?” 

Angela brushed her thumb over the design, before that smile reappeared on her face. One tear of happiness managed to slip off Angela’s cheeks, and she put the new mug down while hugging Hana close. “Hana… It’s perfect. Thank you, Liebe!” 

Hana giggled, and hugged Angela right back. It was a lovely tight embrace, and they both had a beautiful warmth spread through them. When Angela broke the hug first, she wiped her face with the ball of her palm and picked up the new piece of drinkware, admiring it some more. “Thank you so much, Hana. I adore the gift… I’m sorry I don’t have anything for you, though.” Angela said softly, and the gamer shrugged. 

“I figured you would be alone. Knowing you, you’re quite the recluse. So… I bought snacks too! A little birdie told me you liked hot chocolate, and swiss chocolates. I tried getting what I could. Theres also some more of my favorite snacks in there too, I managed to find Eastern stores.” Hana explained, and dug through the bags. She pulled out what indeed seemed to be a bag of chocolate specifically made for melting, some snacks with various names Angela could barely try to read, and of course… her favorite kind of Swiss chocolate, right down to the name. 

“Läderach!” She reached out for the box, a rather delightful grin on her face with sparkles in her eyes. “Hana I… I don’t know what to say… You’re did all of this just for me.” 

“Something like ‘please help me eat all of these goodies today’?” Hana chuckled, but smiled fondly at Angela’s enthusiasm “I wanted you to have a good Christmas back on base. Hopefully make us hanging out a thing that happens on the holiday so you aren’t alone.” Hana told her. 

A soft blush covered both of their faces, but neither of them seemed to mind. Angela gently put the Swiss candies down and lifted up the other chocolate brand for hot chocolate. Conveniently, Angela used milk as a creamer, therefor had plenty in her mini fridge to make them the delicious winter drink. “I’d actually like to spend the day with you, Hana. And, I’d love to break in that lovely mug you made me.” Angela smiled softly, and carried off what she needed to the mini kitchen behind them. 

Hana beamed, and turned around. “Will you bring me back a mug, Angie?”

“Of course, Hana” Angela responded softly before starting up the heat and pouring some milk in. 

Grin stretching from ear to ear, Hana jumped up from the couch to stretch for a moment, and started to fiddle with Angela’s DVD player once more to start their movie. Hana decided to be a little generous and indulge in a silly movie she thought Angela might enjoy, _The Nightmare Before Christmas_. She figured the characters and the title were silly enough that she and Angela could have a reasonably good time enjoying it. As the trailers rolled, Angela continued making the drink as the string of them together cause her ear to listen in. With the menu theme not too long after, Angela perked up completely. “Hana. Is that The Nightmare Before Christmas?”

“Yeah. How’d you know?” The gamer called back, tilting her head over the edge of the couch while Angela gave her yet another genuinely soft smile. 

“I loved that movie as a child!” She smiled. “I think I even went as Sally for Halloween one year.” 

“How cute.” Hana chuckled, and came back up in her seat. Angela walked over with two steaming mugs of hot chocolate, and after handing Hana her mug, she sat down her own and opens up the fresh pack of chocolate. The young soldier took that as a sign to start the movie as she grabbed her snacks as well. As the opening sequence started through, hana felt a sudden pressure on her shoulder. She took a side glance to see Angela having started to lean on her despite her radically smaller size. 

“Hey, Angie” Hana mused. “How tall are you anyway?” 

Angela hummed as she popped one of her chocolates in her mouth. “About 170 centimeters. Aren’t you-”

“155. Yes.” Hana responded curtly, a blush stretching over her face. “I’m short I know.”

The doctor seemed to differ. “Actually, I think that’s rather cute. A girl so small defying the odds and being a soldier. A very capable one. Not only is that very admirable, but when you wind down, you’re just so cute.” Angela said. 

The gamer blushed a bit darker and sipped her hot chocolate. “Sh… shut up and watch the movie, Angie.” She mumbled into the lip of her mug, and she heard Angela laugh beside her. 

It was an odd feeling, but a welcome one. The idea of them being so close and enjoying such a silly movie. The way Angela hummed along to all of the songs was even seeming to help Hana herself stay relaxed. Even through the slightly disturbing moments of children kidnapping this “Santa Claus” figure Hana barely knew about and military guns shooting Jack Skellington out of the sky, Hana thought of the whole ordeal as a cute bonding experience. She enjoyed having Angela on her arm, and felt some sort of bond between them grow. Angela too, found it quite the experience, and once the movie had its conclusion with Jack and Sally finally slipping to their feelings, The good doctor felt some sort of warmth spread in her chest at the sight. It reminded her of something deep down, but she chose to ignore that memory, in favor of the one she was making now. 

Mugs empty and snacks only partially eaten, Angela sat up from her leaning post, and felt that soft warmth disappear, along with the warm spot on her cheek. She stretched to pop her back then turned to Hana, who seemed only half awake by that point. Angela recalled, that the gamer did not often sleep well. She grabbed the blanket that draped over the couch, and covered Hana’s lap with it. She stirred some and looked at the guardian angel beside her. “Hm…? Oh, movies over? Right.” Hana too stretched, making a noise. She leaned over, not retracting from the blanket, and pulled a whole selection of movies from the bag. “Um… I found that movie with the furry green guy too. Are you up to watching it?” She asked, displaying a realistic looking animation style with a colorful monkey looking man. 

“As long as you promise to not fall asleep on me.” Angela smiled, patting Hana’s head softly. She took the disk from Hana’s grasp, and the gamer could feel the blush reform in her cheeks. Angela was… mothering her. But… at the same time, watching Angela change disks, Hana tugged the blanket up. When she sat back down, it was Hana’s turn to lay down on a shoulder. It was much more comfortable that way, since Angela seemed to be bigger, and Hana sighed in happy content while the previews rolled. 

_“I usually don’t like the baby treatment but… something about it coming from Angela…. I don’t think I mind…”_

Hana’s thoughts were stirred when Angela held a piece of chocolate in front of Hana’s face. “Swiss Chocolate, Hana?” Angela offered her, and the younger woman smiled. She poked her hand out of the blankets and took it generously and nuzzles Angela just slightly as to get her point across. 

“Thanks, Angie” was the warm hum, and Hana tossed it in her mouth as the sequence to this movie started, this time a little more peaceful and less monster filled. The pair refused to bother leaving the room, even for dinner with the rest of the base, and found themselves enjoying movies together through most of the night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the name of Holiday spirit I had to have Hana and Angela come together and hang out over Christmas, loving on each other just a little bit~ I might draw Angela’s mug sometime soon for the lols. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter~ he next one should be up relatively soon~ 
> 
> Please comment and suggest anything y’all see fit, especially if I made an error. Also, for those of you not willing to go search for the conversion, Angela is about 5’7” and Hana 5’1”. Cute, aren’t they? Hehe. Have a nice day!!


	11. Level 11 - Resolutions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angela and Hana celebrate new years together, and make a few resolutions to boot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And a month and 8 oneshots later I update :V

“Annyeong, Angela.” Hana chirped, smiling with her horde of snacks. She stepped into Angela’s room as the Doctor was finishing up some reports on her laptop, and tugged her hair out of her eyes just enough to see the gamer walk in. Not only did she have their snacks for the evening, but she was dolled up in fluffy pants and a baseball style shirt for sleepwear as if she had plans on staying the night.

“Guten tag, Hana” Angela responded in kind and placed her laptop on the coffee table. Next to it, of course, was Angela’s new mug. It made Hana’s heart flutter when she saw it, and she slid over to place the snacks on the coffee table, careful not to mess with the computer too much. She flopped back where she was barely a few days ago, and hummed at the screen.

“More research, doc?” Hana asked curiously.

“Mm.” Angela nodded and took a sip from her steaming mug. “I’m still trying to clear my results from yesterday’s experiment. I think I might have to give it another run... “ The doctor then put her mug down and rubbed her temples with a frustrated sigh.

Hana smiled a little and patted her shoulder. “You can worry about it later, Angie. Come On, get into some pajamas and we’ll watch that cool New Years program being hosted in England right now” The gamer chuckled, smiling at how Angela was still in her full Overwatch working ensemble, excluding her white coat.

Angela herself sighed a little and she stood. “I suppose you’re right… This one time.” She gave Hana a tiny wink as she disappeared into a door, back to her bedroom. The younger woman rolled her eyes but smiled and got up to turn on Angela’s tv and grab a chip bag.

New Year's Eve was not a holiday typically celebrated by Hana, not in the way that everyone else does. She typically celebrated the Lunar New Year with the rest of her friends back at MEKA, she’d receive envelopes from her parents, whom still insisted on continuing the tradition even if she was an adult. She sent them some in return and used the money she received to treat herself more than usual. It was a calm exchange over the mail, but this year, most of the inhabitants of the base were Western, meaning the new year happened in the calendar year, not the lunar. So what if they celebrated a little early? It gave Hana an excuse to try and get Angela to stop working. Thankfully, the good doctor agreed with Hana, despite her ‘vacation’ having happened not long ago.

The program showed some famous European singer put on a minor performance, and Hana rolled her eyes at the event. Americans made it more entertaining by far, Europeans were just weird.

She popped a chip in her mouth as Angela came back out of her room, dressed in full pajama ensemble just how Hana had been, and she sat next to her on the couch. “Oh, I know this artist. Barely.” She commented, reaching back for her mug and shut her laptop. “... Never liked them.”

“They look like a clown” Hana partially snorted as the performance came to a close, and a newscaster off to the side was asking the crowd questions now. It was mildly entertaining to watch, seeing people give foolish answers or turned to kiss their significant others. Hana felt her own lips twitch in response and snuggled deeper into the couch with a forlorn expression.

Finally, it came to another interviewer, asking someone what their New Year's Resolution was. Hana seemed a little intrigued, whereas Angela laughed a little.

“What’s so funny about resolutions, Angie?” Hana asked her, stuffing her snack bag to the side.

“Hm? Nothing” Angela responded cooly and continued to sip on her mug, smiling behind it.

This earned an eye roll from the gamer. “Do you have a resolution that's cheap or something?” Hana inquired, a slightly mischievous smile growing on her face to start some teasing.

Angela was thoughtful for a mere moment. “No, Actually. So few ever really pull off their resolutions, such as Fareeha and Reinhardt, that the whole thing is more of a superstition than anything else. I never even gave into my resolutions when I made them.” She responded.

“Oh come on, Angela.” Hana started a little annoyance in her tone. “You gotta have a resolution or something! Isn’t there something you always wanted to stop or do? Come on.” Hana pushed her.

The doctor sighed. “No, Hana. I don't have anything I want to change.”

Hana sighed and seemingly gave up, flopping back against the couch. She drummed her fingers against her arm for a moment before she piped up again. “Your smoking habit.”

“Excuse me?” Angela looked at her with a confused expression.

“When you get stressed, you go outside and smoke. How about instead of going outside and smoking, you come find me and we talk instead? You can yell, scream, berate all you need until you’re calm and don't feel the need to go smoke anymore. How’s that?”

She made a bit of a face, leaning back and nursing her new mug close to her chest. A hum of disapproval floated from her chest. “... If I take this resolution, you have to make one as well.” Angela’s tone was low and serious. She was facing a huge commitment… but she sure as hell wasn’t going to do it alone.

Hana almost choked on the air she was breathing, hastily clearing her throat to look at Angela straight in the face again. “Me? Make a resolution too? I mean… I guess. But, there's not much I can make a true resolution for. I just want to catch up on the games I need to play… I don't think that's the kind of resolution you’re looking for.” Hana responded.

“No,” Angela responded coolly.

They both became silent in thought, a few more questions and answers came from those on TV before a smirk drew up on Angela’s face. “When you have night terrors or can’t sleep, I want you to come straight here.”

“Wh… What?” Hana turned her head back around, looking at Angela's quite serious face.

“You heard me, Miss Song.” Angela sued her more authoritative tone to add insult to injury with her little smirk. “When you’re having problems, come see me. You need a distraction and stress reliever too, you know.”

Hana blushed under the circumstances, and Angela did too, just not as brightly. Another quiet moment of reflection and Hana nodded. “...Yeah. Sure. I’ll take that on.”

“Then its settled…” Angela’s voice became a little softer with the knowledge that she would not be alone in her endeavors for the year. “We’ll go to each other when we have problems.”

“Heh… You sure do have a lot of faith in this…” Hana said softly, looking into her own bag of snacks.

“Yes, well…” Angela looked back down into her mug as well. “... Things like this are much easier with a close friend.”

A nod signified Hana’s agreement, even if Angela couldn’t quite see her affirmation, and she started to nibble on her snacks once more, watching as the clock in the corner ticked down to the new year. It was a rather… strange silence. Yet, it was still quite comfortable. After a good forty-five minutes of watching the program alternate between musicians and interviewers chatting with crowds, Hana started to doze, a quite uncharacteristic thing for her to do. Her dozing off was only made aware to Angela when she felt an unnecessary weight on her shoulder, that weight belonging to Hana.

She blushed and looked down at her younger counterpart. “Hana? Are you tired?”

That was more than enough for Hana to go bolt upright with the brightest red blush on her face that the doctor had noticed thus far. The sight of her embarrassment made her chuckle just a little, and Hana found herself at a loss for words. “I.. Um… M...Maybe. Training was rough today…” She looked down after the menial confession, and Angela had to really work to hide her chuckle.

“Its alright, Hana” Angela assured her, and reached for the remote, switching the TV off. “I think I should try to sleep. Who needs to see that silly timer reach the end anyway? Its almost midnight anyhow.”

A small grumble was followed by an actual answer. “Yeah, I guess.” She said softly, yet stayed stubbornly put on the couch. The only move she made was to get her empty bag off of her lap, but not much else.

As Angela stood, she looked back over at Hana slightly confused. “Is something the matter, Hana?”

The Gamers gaze dropped to the floor as she looked defensive all of a sudden. “Do… you mind if I stayed here? Like, on your couch for the night? I… its too late to go back to my room.” Hana said. _“I don't want to be seen walking out of here all flustered like this…”_

Angela leaned against the wall, drumming her nails on the ceramic of her mug. “Well, I don't see the problem with that. I’ll grab you a blanket.” She responded.

“Really?” Hana perked up, genuinely surprised.

“I don't see why not, Hana. You’re welcome in my quarters any time. I’ll just blame it on how tired you are. If I didn’t know any better I’d say you liked me.” Angela smiled and left Hana to blush even deeper on the couch. Of course, when she was in her room to find the blanket, she felt the realization of what she said hit her hard with a deeply seated blush. _“Ludicrous. She’s just lonely.”_ As quickly as the thought came, Angela shook it off as she reached for a soft blanket, yellow in tone, and made her way back out to the living room.

Hana was already lounging on the couch, all sprawled out and scrolling through status updates on her phone. That little blush on her face did not fade, and Angela draped the blanket over her in a gentle fashion. “You sure you want to stay here?” Angela inquired to be sure.

“Um… Yeah…” Hana felt herself become shy and uneasy, but she cuddled up to the blanket she was given anyway. “Yeah. I don't mind. Your room is nice anyway. Its warmer than mine too. I hate the cold.”

“You don't look like a snow bunny to me.” Angela chuckled a little but nodded. “Knock if you need something, Hana. Happy New Years.”

“Happy New Years, Angie…” Hana muttered as the blonde turned off the lights, retreating back into her room. She cuddled up to the blanket given to her, and shut her eyes, even ignoring her phone’s brighter light for the comfort of the blanket. Oddly enough, it was the most soothing thing Hana had felt in quite a long time. Sleep came without trouble that night.

\--- ---

Angela pinched the bridge of her nose as she glanced at her computer. Between her recent research, testing new nanobot applications… she was at the end of her ropes.

She would have thrown something if Hana didn’t arrive shortly after. She knocked on the door before poking her head into the closed office. “Hey, Angie.” Hana smiled softly, walking into the office with an optimistic smile. She took her usual seat and leaned forward to continue to deliver her bright smile to Angela. “I thought you might still be here. Have you gotten lunch yet today?”

A common question. Hana asked her that every day, and yet Angela always refused her suggestion to go get whatever concoction was made down there. She straightened up in her seat and cleared her throat. “No. I haven't eaten much at all today.” She responded, feeling a need to put up more of a front than usual.

Hana seemed to notice the more stiff behavior, but she did not comment on it herself. “Alright. Wanna go down together?” She suggested, that soft smile still ever there.

Angela minimized her windows and put the computer to sleep. “Actually, I think I will, Hana. Thank you.”

“Hell, really?” Hana sat up, practically beaming as Angela stood to pop out her back.

“Yes… It would do me good to stretch, or something to that degree…” Angela murmured, and Hana jumped out of her chair in quick excitement.

“Yes! Let's go! I know Lucio is probably cooking today. He makes awesome homestyle food.” Hana grinned and tugged Angela along by her arm.

The Swiss woman found it a little silly but smiled fondly as she allowed herself t be tugged by Hana down the hallways. She hummed a happy little tune as Hana stopped her incessant dragging as soon as they were out of the Medical Bay. She stuffed her hands into her work pockets then as Hana placed hers in her military training pants. “Have you been doing well to avoid injuries, Hana?” Angela asked her curiously, eyeing her physiology and making sure she was, in fact, not visibly injured and hiding it.

“Yeah, I’m being careful” Hana responded. She was still quite lively at Angela’s compliance with her suggestion and was even more pleased when she started to make casual conversation. It was sometimes difficult to get Angela to talk if she was so busy and deep in her work.

“Good.” Came Angela's soft, pleased response. “I’m glad. I’m also pleased that you’ve yet to obtain another injury quite like the first one that got us talking more frequently in the first place.”

Hana scoffed at that. “I’m not that big of a klutz, Angie, promise. That was a one-time accident, nothing more.” She assured.

The doctor nodded to that, and they walked through the doors were several other soldiers were already busy stuffing their faces and having a good time. Angela rarely made an appearance out here, but if it kept Hana with her, then by all means… her fingers were itching to bring something to her lips. Food might as well be a good substitution for nicotine.

Hana lead them both through the line, eventually piling both of their trays up with plates of salad, Brazilian Feijoada, bread rolls, and other various side dishes. Hana grabbed quite a hefty amount of Feijoada as if to compliment the chef, and Angela thought it a little uplifting.

Even if she wasn't quite hungry, her body rapidly disagreed with her. As soon as the first bite of food touched her lips, she was eating a little quicker than what was standard for the good doctor. Not only did the food taste good, it was a blessed distraction, exactly what she needed, and she hummed with each heavenly bite. With Angela too focused on getting her mind off her bad habits, Hana was left to stare at her for a little bit while she was off in her own self-healing land. A smile came to Hana’s face, watching Angela actually take care of herself for once, without all that much begging. _“I wonder… If I’m keeping Angela from doing something stupid, and that's why she agreed to come with me.”_ Hana let the thought float through her mind for a moment, and almost broke out into a wider grin. Being a support for the person who gave it the most had the effect of a trophy to her, and she was proud of it.

Finished with her portion of food after a few minutes, Hana mostly through hers, Angela sighed in satisfaction but didn’t quite do much otherwise. Her counterpart on the other side of the small table chuckled a little before eating another fork full of salad.

“Is something funny, Hana?” Angela asked her curiously.

“Nah. I’ve just never seen you eat so fast. Soldiers habit?” Hana smiled.

Knowing the duties of a Combat Medic weren’t far from the tree of a soldier's, Hana correctly guessed that Angela did sometimes have a quicker eating habit. She blushed in light of the revelation and picked up a napkin to wipe imaginary sauce from her lips to hide her embarrassment. “I… It's a hard habit to get rid of when you feel you’re on the edge.”

“I get it” Hana responded, a bit calmer and more serious this time. The last thing she wanted to do was even remotely upset Angela for whatever reason. Angering the most respected doctor was not without consequences, after all. Hana didn’t know them, and she didn’t want to. “Even in MEKA, everything was rushed. You never know when you’re going to get called out to load up and fight. I assume that's the way it is with every military organization.”

“Ah… Something like that.” Angela responded softly. “It truly is hard to get rid of…”

Hana nodded her complete understanding and put a few more piles of food into her mouth to sate her hunger before pushing her tray away. Angela grabbed them both and moved to discard them properly in the dirty dishes area. It was a little more distraction for her, bringing an almost relaxed feeling to her hands. Hana was fixing her bun upon her return and gave yet another calm smile to her older counterpart. “You ready to go back or do something else? I can fool around as much as I want, really…”

Angela felt her muscles tighten, worry at what would happen if Hana left her now. She still felt tense and thought about it for a moment with a bite to her lip. “Can you… hang out in my office for a little longer?” Came the sheepish request

“Sure can” The young soldier smiled a little bit. She stood, and made her way right back to Angela’s side.

“Thank you…” The doctor sighed in relief, and once they were out of the cafeteria, Hana felt the need to ask a little bit of a pressing question.

She stopped just outside the doors and watched Angela walk a little forward. “Hey, Angie?” The blonde turned around. “Am… I keep you from smoking?”

Angela gave a shy little nod.

Hana’s soft look came back a little stronger as she moved to catch up with Angela’s positioning. “I'm proud of you. Let's go walk around the base a while.”

Needless to say, they both had tender smiles, continuing discussions, and taking a lap or two around the base.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long. I got hung up on school work, bowling, then got sick. But don’t worry, I plan on writing a bunch over Christmas break, which starts tomorrow!
> 
> Comments and suggestions are always welcome. If you see an error point it out! Thanks to you guys as always


	12. Level 12 - Insomnia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hana is having a rough patch with her insomnia, and Angela tries helping her find a solution.

That late January morning there had been no trace of Hana. Sometimes, the gamer took a little longer to get ready in the mornings, and she missed initially walking down with Angela to the Medical Bay. There was no problem, as she’d often swing by minutes later to greet Angela with a bright smile and wave, teasing her over the new mug she had just received, then departing for training and spars. However, Hana never appeared. 

When lunch came around, and Angela was fighting her typical urge to stay in her office and compile more research on her nanites, Hana did not show up then either. The gamer typically came in very chipper, offering to guide Angela to the mess hall. It was a fight usually, yes. This time Angela found herself getting up to go there by herself if only to search for Hana. She left her cold mug on her desk as she got up, making her way to the mess hall with ease and scanning the trove of soldiers sitting and eating. There was hardly a trace of the younger soldier. Hana missing a meal was definitely more call for concern than Angela even thought remotely possible. Her heart beat a little quicker in her chest, thinking of silly possibilities of harm that could have come to Hana. 

_”If she did get hurt she would have been brought to you, Ziegler. Come on”_ she dispelled her own looming thoughts with a deep sigh and a rub to her temples.

Almost as if it was some mandatory queue, Angela jumped and yelled, two large arms making their way across her shoulders on both sides. 

“Doctor Z, how's it hangin'?” Lucio grinned from one side, and Stephenos on the other. Both of them had a ridiculously huge grin on their face. Somehow, seeing Angela out of her office during lunch excited all the medical staff. “You’re never out of your office at this hour! What’s the occasion?” He chimed. 

“I, ah… hello, Lucio…and Stephenos...” Angela tugged her lab coat closet to her body and cleared her throat. “I’m looking for Miss Song. You two haven’t seen her, have you?” She asked curiously. 

“I did last night on my way to bed” Stephenos responded, letting go of Angela's shoulder. “She looked pretty worn, almost like she hasn’t slept in days. I’m thinking it’s the new training regimen Commander Morrison is putting them all through”

“That’s right…. Jack is back...” Angela almost sounded bitter for a moment. 

Lucio looked contemplative after Stephenos’ statement. “I didn’t see her this morning. She must have been late. Or just didn’t show up.” He said. 

“Have you tried her quarters yet, Doctor Ziegler?” The taller young man asked her, and Angela hummed a thoughtful tune. 

She tapped her foot just a bit too. “I have not.” 

“Give it a shot” Lucio clapped her on the back with a smile. “She might just be tired from training Angela.” 

“Thank you, boys” Angela sighed, turning around and facing the entrance. She took a deep breath as the two men muttered behind her. She didn’t bother to catch what they were saying before she made her way out of the mess hall and back to the living quarters. Her hand was clenched with anticipation and worry. She just hoped that Hana was up in her room like Stephenos suggested. 

Her uneasy footsteps echoed in the corridors almost. She could swear she was walking faster than usual as well. That may have been the case… She was worried after all. A few turns and many worried steps later, Angela arrived at the door that leads into Hana’s small room. The door was locked, per the keypad. Angela wasn’t in Hana’s room or even near it enough times to know if she kept it locked while she was inside or not. Quickly, Angela overrid it with her own ID card and watched as the door slid open with a hiss. 

Despite the awkwardness she felt intruding, she couldn’t help herself. She stepped in and let her eyes adjust to the darker room while the door slid shut behind her. The computer wasn’t on, not even a hum in sleep mode. From the shapes Angela could see, the room was a mess. Typical of a young woman like Hana, of course, still. Even this seemed excessive. 

A small noise made Angela jump a bit, and she looked to her immediate right. It was as if a switch flipped, and every worry Angela felt was replaced with immense relief. Hana was right there in bed, in her soldiers uniform from yesterday and her phone in her hand. Her breathing was even and slow, signs of a peaceful sleep. The good doctor sighed deeply, finally satisfied with the knowledge that the younger soldier was, in fact, safe. 

_”I’m glad she’s alright… As if she wouldn’t be. Still… Looks like someone slept for a little too long. That's… peculiar that she's not in her pajamas… hmm..”_ Angela tapped her foot a little, barely even a stir from Hana’s form. Another soft hum and Angela made up her mind. She pulled out her own phone as she decided to take up the computer chair that was clear of Hana’s belongings. Hopefully, the gamer wouldn’t mind the familiar intruder. Messaging Lucio to make sure he's there to cover the Medical Bay, Angela settled in for a decent little wait, hoping Hana would awaken soon. 

It was only a mere thirty minutes Angela waited, reviewing a medical sheet she could find on her phone when Hana made noises from her bed. Angela couldn’t stop the curve of her lips as she watched Hana wake up, the little whiny noises, the stretch of her legs, and finally a rough little turn of her torso to get her back to pop too. The gamer turned on her lamp next to her bed, then yelped at the figure she could see. 

“A-Angela?! What are you doing in here!?” She shot bolt upright, looking Angela up and down as the doctor chuckled in her spot. That was more like it, what an energetic little bunny. 

After her little laugh, Angela cleared her throat and presented a soft smile. “Sorry for the intrusion, Hana. You… didn’t show up at all today. I was worried and wanted to make sure you were alright.” Angela felt some heat touch her cheeks at the statement. 

She could see the same effect blossoming over Hana’s face too, and the gamer looked at her sock covered feet in bed. “Right… I’m… sorry about that.” Hana responded a bit sheepishly. “I just… Haven’t slept lately… Well! I haven't slept well.” That blush got brighter as she corrected her not-so-little mistake. 

That piqued Angela’s interest. “Haven’t been sleeping?” The blonde doctor asked. 

Hana’s shame only grew. “... I haven’t. No. Um… What day is it?” 

Angela quickly checked the date on her lock screen. “Its the 19th.” 

“Um… since the 15th, then…” Hana admitted. 

“Hana,” Angela sighed, a bit of disappointment over her features. “And you trained like this? Why didn’t you come to me like we agreed?” 

“I’m sorry” Hana sighed too, sitting up properly and crossing her legs on her bed. “I didn’t want to bother you. I knew you’d be bothered by Commander Morrison coming back. Or.. something.” 

“No. You just didn’t want to ask for help. I know that.” Angela responded. Then she moved from the desk to the foot of Hana’s bed, making the gamer look at her that way. “Hana, having this doesn’t make you any less than anyone, you know that right? Many people in this base have insomnia, you know I do too. And, patient confidentiality is my number one priority.” 

Hana curled up more at Angela’s little spiel, and a deep sigh followed. “I do know. I just… didn’t want to admit that I was having a problem.” 

“I know” Angela responded softly but left it at that. 

It was clear that Hana felt guilty enough for not telling Angela what was going on, and even more so for breaking the little resolution promise they made. The guilt was written over her features pretty well. Angela decided then to give a soft smile. “It’s quite alright, Hana. It's difficult. Next time, please do come see me, even if we aren’t giving you official medical help for your insomnia, I’d still like to help by giving you some company.” 

“Company, huh?” Hana chuckled a little, but she had a guilty little smile remain. “I guess that can work… I mean… you really do make me more comfortable around here. I only really even gotta falling asleep reading one of your medical journals you linked me earlier.” 

“Oh?” Angela tilted her head a bit in curiosity, her mind already starting to work itself up. “My medical journal?” 

“Yeah. I didn’t understand a lot of it, but it was nice seeing your work and your words. You really do have a nice writing style.” Hana complimented 

Angela had a soft smile at that. “Thank you.” She stood afterward and stuffed her hands in her pockets while glancing down at Hana. “Would you mind doing something for me, Hana?” 

“Sure thing, Doc.” Hana perked up a bit more. 

“Bring your pajamas and come to my quarters tonight. You’ll be sleeping on my couch if you’re comfortable with that.” Angela said with a gentle smile. 

That blush that had faded off Hana’s face popped right back up. “Again? But I don't plan on hanging out past midnight again.” 

“Just to test a little theory,” Angela assured, watching as her younger counterpart reacted to the idea. “Will you humor me and come up? I think I might be on to something.” 

Hana grumbled a few things under her breath in Korean, but she looked back up after crossing her arms. “Alright, Angie. I’ll do it.” 

“Good” Angela gave her a smile again. “I’ll see you tonight then. Please do take a shower and get something to eat before you do.” 

“You’re one to talk!” The gamer bantered, grinning from ear to ear in a competitive way. A signature Hana Song smile. 

Pleased by this development, Angela gave her a soft wave before allowing herself to exit the gamer’s quarters. She hummed a soft, pleased tune all the way back down to the Medical Bay. 

\--- --- ---

Around 21:00, just as Angela predicted, Hana had come down to her quarters. Extra pillow and blanket in arms, Hana blushed while she walked in in her more fluffy pajamas. Angela couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped her mouth as Hana looked like she was ready for a sleepover with some of her best friends, and not spending a night in someone else's room for doctor observation. 

Hana’s face was covered in a bright red blushed and she was grumbling Korean profanities still under her breath as she plopped her pillow and blanket on Angela’s couch, then made her way over to where the blonde doctor was moving around in the small kitchen. “Good evening, Hana” Angela said softly with a smile. 

“Hey…” Hana leaned against the counter with a bit of a huff. 

“Why the long face, Hana?” Angela decided to ask her, putting a mug on the counter. 

“Embarrassed” Hana responded, grabbing the relatively warm cup and sipping its contents. It tasted like… “is this from scratch cocoa?” Hana asked. 

“Mhm.” Angela noises, moving around to get her own mug ready. “I thought you’d like some to help ease you a bit.” 

“Heh… Thanks” Hana said, a soft smile growing on her stubbornly blushing face as she took in the flavor and aroma of the drink. “Home recipe..?” 

Angela nodded and smiled as she watched Hana enjoy her mug. It was a peaceful little setting, perfect as a routine before bed. Hana was silently enjoying it for a while before she glanced up at Angela curiously with a suspicious glint in her eyes. “Angela… why do you want me to sleep in here again? For real this time.” 

A long pause was followed by Angela clearing her throat. “I want to see if being in a familiar or soft place helps you sleep better” it wasn’t exactly a lie, but it wasn’t the truth either. 

It satisfied Hana, it seemed. “... Gotcha” was the soft response, and the young gamer quickly downed the rest of her cocoa. She was far too tired to really care much beyond that point. When Angela woke her up earlier, she had only gotten a few small hours of hardly restful sleep. More or less, she was a huge grump all day. Maybe Angela was on to something… 

Nevertheless, Hana figured she could humor the doctor, and after finishing the mug of hot chocolate, she managed to pull herself away from the counter and made her way to lay on Angela's couch. She fell on it with a loud “poof” noise from the cushions. Angela felt herself giggle a little into her mug, and watched and Hana got herself situated on the couch with her own blanket and the other one from New Years. She slowly dipped her drink while observing, until no more motion came from the couch itself. Curious, Angela set her mug down and walked over, leaning over her couch to catch a glimpse 

Sure enough, just as she had anticipated, Hana was already out cold within ten minutes of laying down. She was curled up like a yarn ball, clutching the blankets that covered her tightly. It was a wonder what the gamer fell asleep like when she didn’t just pass out on a whim. A soft smile graced Angela's face at the sight of Hana so peacefully asleep. She even felt something close to soft adoration blossom in her chest, even if just a little bit. 

Looming over Hana for a little bit, the generous doctor wanted to make sure that she was in fact pretty well asleep. She, of course, did this with all of her patients, observing their sleep patterns and ensuring she wasn’t missing any information. Then again, she never really looked at them for this long of a time before… _“Good grief Ziegler… let her sleep in peace”_ Angela shook her own head, attempting to ignore the brunette resting adorably on her couch. She watched only a few moments more until her hot cocoa was gone, and she took it expressly to the sink to rinse out completely. She did so somewhat quietly, as to attempt not to wake Hana. That’s the only thing she wasn’t sure of, was if Hana was a light or heavy sleeper. She didn’t want to risk finding out which as she gently left her mug and Hana’s in the sink, and slipped off to her room. 

She peeked out, looking at Hana’s form from the doorway, and after a slight moment of contemplation, Angela decided to leave it open a little bit, just in case.

\--- --- ---

Being on alert in case her ‘patient’ needed any assistance over the night due to nightmares or something akin to it, Angela slept in a position that kept her on alert. Upright as she could be in her own bed, Her alarm went off at 6:00 sharp, and she almost outwardly groaned from the unsatisfying rest, but remembered who was just outside her door. She quickly silenced the alarm as memories from the day before got back to her, and Angela stood to stretch out her back a little better. She slipped her feet into soft yellow fuzzy slippers and moved back into the living area of her quarters. Hana was still dead asleep, almost perfectly peaceful on the couch, if not for a leg sticking out from under the blankets to get a bit of air circulating. Angela almost wanted to chuckle. _“No one can cocoon themselves like that all night, I knew it.”_

Bending over the back of the couch, Angela gently shook Hana by her shoulder. 

**”Noo.... Five more minutes…”** Hana whined, her thick Korean being evident even in this short phrase. Angela had to resist the urge to giggle at Hana’s sleepy adorableness. 

“Come now, Hana.” Angela gently coaxed. That seemed to be all the younger woman needed as she practically instantly fell off of the couch in a quick yelp. Now that really had Angela trying not to laugh, with Hana’s absolutely flustered expression as she quickly tried to recall where she was. 

“Fuck! I mean, uh, ughhh! What the hell Angela?” Hana rapidly exclaimed, right along with her red face. Hana looked the doctor in the eye as she started laughing completely. 

“I'm sorry Hana” Angela grinned while she practically reeled in laughter. “I didn’t… Mean to startle you! I just wasn’t sure if you were awake… It’s time to get ready.” 

As the younger woman got up, gathering her belongings and muttering Korean profanities under her breath, she looked at Angela for a moment and locked eyes, watching her calm down almost instantly after Hana didn’t seem to be quite as amused with the situation. She did let a little smile break through, right as her eyes left. Anglea tilted her head curiously as she caught the sight of a small blush on Hana’s face. 

She shook it off and cleared her throat. “Ahem…. Well, Hana, I think My hypothesis may have been correct. So, From now on if you’re having any trouble sleeping, you don't need to go to the Medical Bay, but I’d like for you to come here.” 

Hana paused while she folded her blanket. “... Come here?” 

“I don't believe I stuttered,” Angela responded as she saw that blush over Hana’s features grow. “I believe you get to sleep relatively easier when… you have a soft influence in your surroundings. If that makes sense. Someone you can trust. Am I wrong?” Angela asked her, and the gamer kept her head down for a minute. The blonde doctor wanted to pry, but she did not and respectfully corrected her posture with her hands in front of her. “Do you have any questions, Hana?” 

A thoughtful look popped up on her face for just a moment. “... Why are you so eager to help me with this, Angie?” 

“Why are you so eager to get me to stop my bad habits?” 

“... That's fair I guess.” 

Angela nodded, and she went to go clean up her mugs. Hana made her way to the door, and the doctor stopped for a brief moment. “Hana, wait.” 

The gamer poked her head back around. “Yeah?” 

“Do you sleep light?” Angela asked, caressing a mug to her chest. 

“I do” Hana responded softly. 

“I thought so. Thank you, Hana.” Angela nodded. 

The younger soldier gave her a bigger smile in return. “No, _thank you_ Angela. Really, I appreciate it.” 

They both traded soft, gleeful smiles before Hana left the room to get ready for the day. The young gamer was not the only one left with a bright blush on her cheeks for hours to pleasantly come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes dont have time for an opening note but i hope you guys liked this! Bold text is language that isn't english. Angela doesn't know what she said but she just knows that Hana was unwilling to get up. 
> 
> Comments and suggestions are always welcome!! <3


	13. Level 13 - Suspicion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack is suspicious of what Angela and Hana's friendship really is... and it causes severe tension between the two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angst, anyone? :)

Late nights were late nights, anyone who worked any job knew that information for a fact. However, what Hana considered a late night for a job, was Angela’s idle drive. She spent the last 15 minutes trying to convince the doctor to hed to bed, but as it reached Midnight, she herself decided it was time to give up. If Angela was on a lead, there was nothing that was going to distract her, Hana was quickly learning that. She wouldn’t be the world-renowned Angela “Mercy” Ziegler if she didn’t. 

Hana sighed into her arms as the clock hit 00:02, and she stood up with a bit of a comforted sigh. “Alright, Angie. I’m gonna head to bed. You should too soon.” 

“Mhmm..” Angela’s hardly verbal response came, her eyes flicking over data pieces on lists and lists of research. Something to improve the output of healing and reconstruction from her staff, Hana recalled. Still, it wasn’t something that she felt Angela should be losing much sleep over. She gave Angela a soft smile and a wave off, trying to be comforting… but the doctor hardly saw her as she departed. Not even the harsh shut of the metal door shook her from her research.

Angela was in her own little world, as she frequently was when she was _so close_ to finding a new cure, a new method of healing, something to improve what she already had. It always stuck glue to the bottom of her seat, unwilling to let her go until she completed her objective. The only thing that could really disturb Angela now above anything else… 

“Doctor Ziegler, I need to have a word with you.” 

… Was the gruff voice of some superior that she had to listen to, or forfeit a write-up. 

A small huff left her nostrils as she begrudgingly let her eyes off of her screen and looked at Jack Morrison as he stood in the doorway, arms crossed and looking relatively unimpressed, as he usually did walking into her office. “How can I help you, Jack?” Angela tried to offer a soft tone of voice, despite the obvious annoyance in interruption. 

The old soldier refused to move, as he stayed static in the doorway entrance. “It's about the Song girl.” 

“Not you too.” Angela started immediately, rolling her eyes and leaning back in her chair with her own arms crossed. “All of you have the same opinion of her, that she's not mature enough to be part of overwatch. She outputs the work you all need her to do. What problem could she have that requires you to talk to me?” Angela said, a bit short on patience. 

Jack straightened up a little. He didn’t expect Angela to be that forward or annoyed, but that’s what he got for disturbing her focus. “It’s not about what she’s doing out on missions. It's her behavior inside the base, and with you.” 

“I beg your pardon?” Angela raised an eyebrow up. 

“You two are around each other frequently, almost inseparable at this point. I”m worried she’ll distract your work, or she is receiving special treatment that she shouldn’t be receiving.” 

“Am I not allowed to have friends that actually like to spend time with me, Jack? Or are you jealous that someone actually likes the nerd instead of the jock for once?” Rarely did Angela get this snippy, but Jack was interrupting her work… needless to say, Hana wasn’t the first person Jack had been concerned about getting close to the doctor either. 

Jack pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “I’m concerned that you have feelings that are more than friendship with her, Angela. It’s not a healthy work environment for either of you that way.” He responded. 

That got Angela’s brow to twitch. “Just because you and Reyes didn’t work out doesn’t mean workplace relationships are bad things, Jack. Who else are you going to turn to when you’re stuck in a military compound?” It was as if this conversation had been had before… “Furthermore, I don't have such feelings for Miss Song. She seems interested in what I do, which is more notice and appreciation I get and have gotten from this entire compound. I enjoy having appreciative positivity in my workspace.” 

“You’re sure that you don't feel any attachment to her?” Jack raised his own eyebrow. 

“I enjoy her positive attitude and appreciation, otherwise she wouldn’t be anywhere near my office, just like anyone else in this facility” Angela responded stiffly. 

It was one more deep sigh and a nod. “I’ll take your word for it, Angela.” 

“Good. Now unless you have some other official or medical need, please leave my office.” Angela tapped her foot a little impatiently. She watched as the old soldier made his way out of the Medical Bay, and she took a deep sigh and rubbed her temples. _”Workplace relations… please”_ She scoffed. She turned to her research on the computer and gave it its own frustrated groan of disapproval. “Wonderful. He’s somehow even shaken my concentration for this.” She grumbled under her breath. 

Performing all the measures to ensure her work was saved, Angela shut down her computer and powered down her office, grumbling all the way to her living quarters.

_”She’s just a girl anyway…”_

\--- --- --- 

“Morning, Angie” The younger soldier greeted, chipper as ever to see her favorite blonde doctor waiting for her at the end of the hallway. However… She herself did not look as pleased.

“Guten Morgen, Miss Song,” Angela muttered under her breath and turned stiffly, continuing her walk down the hallway. 

Curious, Hana sped up her face to keep up and get a sideways glance at Angela’s face. “Hey, what’s with the formalities? I thought we were past being all weird and last name-y” Hana said. 

“Blame Commander Morrison” Angela responded lowly. “He thinks I have some intimate claim to you.” 

“What? Like a romantic relationship or something?” Hana asked, and the blonde doctor nodded. “What the hell gives him that idea? It's not like we’re holding hands or something like normal close female friends do sometimes…” Hana said as her face slowly gave way to an unknown feeling. 

“Yet, you hanging around my office seems to raise enough concern that Jack feels the need to accuse me of it. He thinks you’re a distraction” Angela scoffed before taking a sip of her coffee.

“Yeah… As if.” Hana blew it off but hung back now behind Angela’s gaze. She listened to her a little more, rant about how foolish it was that Doctor Ziegler would be deterred from her work by infatuation… Something about hearing Angela speak so passionately about not being interested in a relationship… it was a confusing feeling inside Hana’s chest. She parted ways with Angela early, simply to get to the mess hall. She wasn’t really feeling a usual morning hang out before training… which was quite weird. 

Angela very quickly noticed the absence of the younger soldier, even catching her as she walked around the corner to the mess hall. She cocked her eyebrow up but was hardly bothered. _”She has her own agenda too”_ was what she reasoned, even though, for some reason, it did leave a little odd feeling afterward. 

Sitting at her desk, she booted up her computer and the programs from yesterday. Even now just looking at them made her feel like a ball of frustrated anxiety. “Thanks, Jack…” She grumbled. 

\--- --- --

That day’s training involved pitting some soldiers against one another in friendly spars. Partners did rotate, and eventually, Hana was landed with Zenyatta. He had quite the knack for figuring out if there was an imbalance in a person’s normal attitude, and he sensed quite the large shift within Hana’s mood. After trading a few soft blows here and there, the monk figured now was as good of a time as any to dig into Hana just a little. 

“I sense a bit of disquiet within you, Hana. Is everything alright?” He asked, catching her a little off guard. 

She rose her eyebrows, making a small confused noise as she caught his foot from hitting the side of her face. “I’m… fine” Hana responded softly. 

The monk lightly deflected a blow from her. “That is not what your expression is telling me. Would you like to talk about it?” He offered. 

Hana looked a little down before sighing. She crossed her legs and plopped herself on the ground. Zenyatta (sort of) followed and offered out an orb of harmony to help soothe Hana further. She kept her gaze away and down and huffed just a bit. “Angela… I’m pretty close to her, and higher-ups are thinking that…. We’re an item. But that's not it at all.” She took a deep breath and recentered herself. “We both… Kinda get what it’s like to be in my position. Being young and in war and all. We both have problems and we really relate to one another. She's one of the only people I feel comfortable letting myself show around. She's one of my best friends, Zen…” She explained. The orb made it a little easier to confess these things… and made it easier to think about them properly. 

Zenyatta nodded curtly to her. “You two do seem like you are very close friends. There is a bond there that the Iris shows me, every time I see you two together.” He said. 

“We are close friends… but Overwatch officials think we’re closer than we should be. They think that Angela and her research is at risk because of a ‘relationship’ with me. I don't understand, we aren’t like that at all…” Hana said, her tone now a little reserved. 

The monk hummed. “But you would like to be.” 

“What?” The gamer suddenly snapped. 

“I thought you two had been intimate for some time. Your interactions, and just how pleased you two are around one another. Your visits to the Medical Bay are too frequent to just be friendly, or so I thought.” Zenyatta explained. 

This got Hana’s face to light up in a bright red. “We… we aren’t. But…” one of her hands moved over to cover her heart over her chest as if to settle its rising beat. “... I guess I’ve been a little too close to her, huh…? If I do have some sort of… feeling for her, It doesn’t feel like it usually does when I have a crush on someone.” She explained. 

“Infatuation is different than love. That much of the human emotion is what I understand.” Zenyatta said softly. “Perhaps this would be better to continue with Doctor Ziegler. This is a matter of your friendship with her and is not something for outsiders to influence” He brought his hands together in peace as the orb he gave Hana returned. The young woman looked a little more determined this time, and a bit peppier. 

“You’re right, Zenny. I should probably be upfront about it so there’s nothing confusing going on. Thank you,” Hana said proudly. She even moved and gave Zenyatta a kiss of appreciation on his cheek. “You’re the best~!” Her usual big smile of determination was now there over her face as she leaped up just as partners were called to change. Zenyatta gave her a small wave, some mechanical whirr as close to a smile as he could manage. 

Genji was now in front of Zenyatta, ready to spar and train as they could. “Helping people on their way, are you Master?” He asked. 

“As much as I can, Genji” Zenyatta responded softly. He watched as Hana made her way out of the training facility, and turned to see Jack’s expression with Winston on the other side of the wall, turn to one of disappointment and disapproval. “Peace be upon her…” Zenyatta’s voice went quiet before he moved to face Genji for their turn. 

\--- --- --- 

This time, as Hana passed the hallways aiming for the Medical Bay and for Angela’s office, the air felt heavy and tense. It was a rare feeling and Hana wasn’t sure how she felt about it. It did not deter her from her current objective. She was going to talk to Angela today, even if it meant some disappointed feelings. She strutted up to Angela’s office, giving the shut door three swift knocks in a way that only Hana Song could, and waited for some response. 

“Come in” Came Angela’s rather gruff tone, seemingly annoyed on the other side. Hana reconsidered for a moment if she really should talk to Angela now, but she figured now before she lost the steel from Zenyatta’s chat. 

Pushing the door open, Hana walked through and took her normal seat. “Heya, Angie. You doing alright…?” The gamer asked as she looked at Angela’s face. It was tense and stressed looking as if she was extremely inconvenienced by even the slightest shift in her usual environment. 

“Not particularly…” She mumbled, typing at something open on her computer, her research from the day before. 

“Same thing from earlier bothering you?” Hana tilted her head a little. 

“Yes… Damn higher-ups…” Angela sighed exasperatedly, minimizing her window to give a little less focus to her stress. She went to take a sip of her coffee before she raised her eyes to look at Hana, observing her concerned expression. “Who do they think I am? A Cretan? I’m certainly not Jesse nor Genji. I don’t have some hidden agenda of flirtation and loveliest. I am a medical professional.” Angela said. 

Hana sat a little more upright in her chair. “They don't know what they’re talking about, Angie. You’re doing you and you’re helping everyone in overwatch, including me!” She tried to be a bit more supportive. “I personally think, even if you did get into a relationship, you’d be nothing but forward and professional about it.” 

“The thing is I have no intentions of slipping into a romantic relationship at all” Angela sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose now. “I want to do my work, support whom I can, and _leave_. Overwatch was shut down for a reason. I’ve never supported their militaristic and barbaric approach to world peace. I’ve only ever compiled so my research can extend as far as it possibly can! They’ve funded me, but I’ve held little respect for them otherwise. I don't expect for them to give me respect either, but insinuating that I have relationships inside this base again? It’s foolish, really.” 

“Do you have a boyfriend or something back home…?” Hana asked softly, that courage slowly dimming away. 

“No. I don’t” Angela sighed. “But I might as well get one if I’m going to be accused of sleeping with a child of all people. Please… ” She took another sip of her coffee then, trying to find some solace in it. 

Hana’s eyes flipped between the mug and Angela’s face. Something… didn’t feel right. Something was completely unsettling in the young gamer’s point of view. She clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white, and a prickling feeling dabbed at the corners of her eyes. “Right.” For some reason, that was the only thing that could come out. For Hana, how Angela just spoke felt like a shutdown in itself. Before she could really stop herself, Hana bid Angela an all too soft ‘goodbye’ before standing from her chair and leaving, almost quicker than she arrived. 

Angela looked up as she did leave, curious as to what Hana was doing. The light had reflected off of Hana’s face just enough… and Angela nearly dropped her mug. _”Was that…. Did I just see a tear on her face?”_ Suddenly, Angela’s heart reached out to the gamer. “Hana, wait-” The door already slid roughly shut. 

Silence and an uneasy sense of emptiness filled the office and the pit of Angela’s stomach. _”Is… is she crying because of me? What happened?_ She wanted to get up and go talk to her, but… Felt it was better to stay here in the office. The blonde doctor begrudgingly set down her mug on the desk once more. It was… odd. She never thought the idea of Hana crying would give her this much… awkward dread. 

Opening up the window she had been glancing at before, Angela sighed deeply, her emotions rather calmer than before. “... Alright…” She mumbled softly, refocusing back on her work. “I’ll check on her later…” 

Hana, on the other hand, was a bit quick paced as she made her way through the base, back to her room. She had half a mind to go and return to the training area, maybe speak to Zenyatta. But… this felt like something she should think about on her own for a little while. _”Just another thing for them to call me childish over, crying over a crush. Taking some time alone should make it easier for myself…”_ It was a way to hide from her shame, to distract herself, and not give herself another reason to be called a child in the eyes of the rest of the base. Only a few minutes or so, Hana reasoned and shut the door with its lock on.

If only a few minutes didn't turn into painful hours for the both of them...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for getting this out a little later than I wanted to. I wanted to really get this out on Friday but my silly butt decided that Skyrim and people were more important for the moment. Welp after getting frustrated at Overwatch, I decided to reroute my Pissy-D.Va/Mercy-Main feels into writing this chapter. Worked a bit... but its a little blocky for my tastes. I'll edit it a bit later, I think. But it's good enough now! :V 
> 
> Comments and Suggestions are always welcome <3


	14. Level 14 - Infatuation and Attraction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hana and Angela both work out how they feel while Hana refuses to visit in the Medical Bay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I took a while but still. Here’s chapter 14~ the next one will be our check point~!!

It was as if a time machine had gone off and sent them all back to October. At least that’s how Angela felt this past week, seeing Hana roaming the halls and training facilities of Overwatch, but instead of seeing a cocky smirk as they passed by one another, it was more like a forlorn look of unsure measures. 

Angela was still quite unsure what had happened to make Hana so… distant. But the doctor was sure that it would be wrong to pursue Hana while she was in this state. She too, felt some sense of forlorn guilt every time she walked by, for she knew she had something to do with this down in the dumps attitude. Obviously, otherwise, Hana would be with her, confiding in her. The whole ordeal was confusing and didn’t make much sense to start out with. 

Something got her conscious a little clearer as Lena started running around one of those later days around the base, a basket full of heart-shaped candy and little love cards. Valentine's cards. _”Lena is always quite big on bringing in the holidays, even with the silly ones such as this…”_ Angela thought as she saw the younger woman zip by, giving everyone a little card and greeting. 

When she passed by Angela, she gave her a little package filled with various swiss chocolates and a glittery gold card. The Swiss doctor gave the slightest smile and soft ‘thank you’ in return, which caused the younger Brit to stop for just a moment to study her face. “Love, what’s got you down in the dumps?” 

“Huh…?” Angela seemed a little confused by her question.

“You haven’t been hanging out with the Song girl lately have you?” Lena’s grin got a bit bigger. “You know, it’s the season of lovebirds. I’d expect you both to be up the wall for each other or somethin'. Yet, you both seem pretty down in the dumps. Did ya have fall out?”

“I- Lena. that’s not appropriate.” Angela cleared her throat. “Hana and I don’t have that sort of relationship.” 

“Really?” Lena raised her eyebrow, becoming a little more static. “You talk about her like she’s the be all end all of things, Angela. I’m really surprised you two aren’t something.” 

‘Well, we aren’t” Angela responded a bit more calmly. “We haven’t been talking at all as of late anyhow.”

 

“Do tell” Lena smiled a little, her interest growing with each word. 

Angela leaned a little harder against the wall and tried not to sigh so hard it seemed she was annoyed. “Jack has been on my case about the same thing. I was… complaining about it the other day and I’m not sure what I said but, Hana hasn’t really talked to me since. I’m not sure what went wrong or what happened. I thought… it foolish to be dating someone right now. Even a child…” 

The young brit got an unsure look on her face. “Angela, weren't you the one who said that Hana wasn’t really a child? Haven’t you been defending her on that since she got here?” 

That was some sort of kick to the head Angela wasn’t quite expecting. “Its… different, Lena. Ages and all for a relationship; It would be wrong to date someone like Hana at my age.” 

At that, for whatever reason, Lena started to laugh. “You’re scared of smooching her because she’s half your age!” 

Angela hushed her down again and wound up pulling the giggly brit out into the more secluded hallway to keep attention off of them from the Mess Hall, as people were starting to glance over at Lena’s loud voice. Her face a little bright, Angela looked at Lena with a bit more of a serious glare. “I don’t want to kiss her at all, Lena Oxton.” 

“You know, you’re quite the womanizer too. Poor Hana isn’t the only one that’s pretty gay for you.” Lena smiled proudly and Angela’s face continued into a deeper blush. 

“And just how do you know Hana is of that orientation?” The blonde tried to raise an accusing eyebrow, curious at Lena’s cheeky smile. 

“Oh love it’s obvious. The way she dresses when she isn't busy with training is one of them, and then just how giddy she is to head off to your office during breaks or during lunch. She’s really all too excited to see you on a daily basis.” Lena popped open one of her candies, sticking a lollipop into her mouth with a hum. “If you two aren’t together, do you plan on tellin’ her you have a crush on her?” 

Angela made a bit of a whine in protest and let her gaze fall. “I didn’t… realize I’ve had feelings for her. It doesn’t feel like last time…” 

“That’s the wonderful thing about love, it’s never the same! You think I had the same hots for Amelie that I do for Emily? Nah.” Lena chippered. “Probably isn’t the same cause your friendship didn’t start the same either. She’s not just some medical aide or something.” 

“I get it, Lena” Angela sighed. “... So what do you suggest I do then?” 

The young Brit smiled as if her answer was clear as day, she only mentioned it but a moment ago. After a moment or two of thought, Angela audibly groaned. “I’m not telling her I have affections.” 

“You’ll be so cute together love! Come on~!” Lena chippered, jumping and grabbing one of Angela’s hands. ‘Just think! You’ll have someone to love and cuddle on again like you used to-” 

Angela snatched her hand away and visually considered her next action, glancing between her hand and Lena’s surprised expression. She lowered it briskly and sighed deeply. “We won’t be discussing… _ahem_ last time. Last time didn’t happen. It will not happen again. So I won’t be telling her.” 

Lena rocked on the balls of her feet for a moment, trying to think of something she could do to convince Angela otherwise, but wound up shrugging. “Suit yourself, Doc. Won’t be my fault if you end up miserable and alone because you won’t let her into your life.” She said, turning to leave back into the mess hall. She paused when Angela audibly sighed. 

‘She’s too young anyway.” Angela muttered under her breath. “There would be stares. People would disapprove of it. She.. could get sent back to Korea. You know how Jack is.” 

Lena put her hands on her hips and turned right back around. “Angela, do you really think anyone here cares? We’re all soldiers here, love is bound to be found in places you wouldn’t expect. Ana and Reinhardt are already flirting with each other again, you know.” 

“Lena, it’s not the-” 

“It is the same.” For once, Lena actually looked a little frustrated. “We’re all here. We’re all working to our limits to keep another Omnic Uprising from happening. The entire world is against us!” She let her arms go up and extend, trying to get the message through to the blonde doctor. “You have someone who probably loves you for who you are and understands what you’re going through, Angela. It’s the same thing as them, it’s the same thing as Morrison and Reyes… it's the same thing. Just tell her already and make this hell… less of a hell. At least you all can have your affairs in the same place.” 

Her speech shook Angela, and she held herself as Lena suddenly took a bit of a depressed turn. She clenched her fists and took a deep sigh, before turning up to the doctor’s face once more. “Not everyone has a good chance like this doc. Please take it.” Lena seemed to beg her before heading inside. 

The blonde sighed, turning to lean against the wall then sigh heavily as if the whole ordeal knocked the wind out of her. In a way, she did. 

She had to do something to make it up to Hana, now…

\--- --- ---

All during the typical foot training, Hana’s face was as obscure as it could have been that entire day. Her hair was even down and in her way, much more than usual. No one really bothered to ask her how she was doing, as this had been going on for the better part of a week or so. 

They were running one of the main obstacle courses now, to help test their endurance and quick thinking. Jack was busy on his clipboard, studying the results from the previous task the soldiers had performed. Hana was, surprisingly, ahead of the group. Her little chest was heaving as she rushed on, pushing her body and lung capacity past what they were typically used to. It was a burn, something that distracted her from her feelings. Distracted her from _Angela_

It worked, for a time. She wanted to think of something, some way to get herself back into the doctor’s office without embarrassing herself. Without coming out… like a young fool to Angela. Her first thought told her that phrase was an insult to Hana’s age… but something else was telling her there was something more besides Hana being so young. But what could it be…

That thought cost Hana. 

The next thought that was through Hana’s mind was a big spike of pain. _”OW…”_

“Song, what the hell?” Jack’s voice rose above a lot of the other commotion around her. “Are you trying to get yourself sent to the Medical Bay?” 

Hana shook her head and managed to squeak out a “No, Sir” before her vision cleared up. Evidently, she ran straight into the wall they were supposed to climb. Genji was at its top, looking down at Hana with what she could only assume was a confused expression behind his faceplate. 

“Shimada. Take her to Angela.” Jack ordered rather simply before looking back down at the clipboard and scratching something out on it. 

The younger soldier rolled her eyes and let herself flop back on the ground with an audible huff. Genji jumped down and helped her up into a standing position. “Do you think you can walk?” he asked her. 

“I’m fine” Hana grumbled and touched where she felt heat start to grow and radiate. Immediately, she pulled it back in hissing pain, and she felt blood on her fingertips. **”Oh for the love of…”** Hana managed to bite under her breath, her pain coming through her teeth. 

“Looks like you might have broken your nose, or at least just made it bleed,” Genji observed, gently taking Hana's hands so she wouldn’t be touching her face any further. 

A swift growl made Genji refract his hands, and the young gamer huffed. “Hands off” she said stiffly before starting her walk. Genji looked at where she ended up falling, and then her back as she walked away. It was evident by his body language that he was deflated and wasn’t quite sure what to do. Quickly he jogged to keep up with Hana and made sure she wasn’t alone as she kept the blood from pooling off her face. 

“At least Doctor Ziegler can get it fixed for you” Genji tried. 

“... right” the pause before she spoke made the cyborg slightly confused. 

“Is something wrong? Have you had a fight with Angela?” He questioned. 

“No” Hana responded, and her steps slowed to a stop in front of the door inside. She looked back to the rest of the soldiers continuing on, and the ever-looming figure of Jack still off in the back. He seemed bigger than ever now, and she turned back forward. She busted her teeth and pushed through, opening the doors and walking inside. Genji followed, and he leaned against the wall. He even took off his faceplate and looked at Hana with a more honest face. 

He waited for a few moments for Hana to say something, and she kept her head down. “I have feelings for Angela.” 

The ninja felt a need to try and console her by any means. He wanted to reach over and pat her but retracted his hand before it touched her. “Did she say something about her science being more important? Or does she have someone else?” He tried the obvious answers first, and Hana shook her head. 

“No. She… doesn’t think I’m old enough” Hana said deflated. “She doesn’t even know I like her, Genji. Not like that” she started making her way down the hallway. It was a winding way to go find the medical bay after all, and she didn’t want to leave a mess in the hallway. “Fucking Morrison thinks our friendship as it is is a romantic affair but it’s not… that’s the only reason it’s an issue. I was trying to … I don’t know. Pretend it wasn’t leading on to that. Besides, I don’t even know if she likes women!” 

Genji nodded the whole time, and let himself into a hum. “Well… Angela has a particular taste, in my experience, she does lean more towards women.” He said, and he almost smiled seeing the light that came up in Hana’s lowered eyes. “She was talking to a woman when I was part of Blackwatch.” 

“You aren’t lying…?” Hana pulled her gaze up, and Genji nodded for her. 

“You have some hope, Hana.” He placed her hand on her shoulder. “I think the problem with your age is misunderstood. After all, I have a very nice friendship with Zenyatta, and the difference is similar” he explained. 

The young gamer gave her nose a tender squeeze but nodded as much as she could. “... but what if it isn’t?” She asked softly. 

“It would not be the first time Angela has turned down a suitor” he responded. “If it’s not your age, it is her science. If not her science… well then there might be something wrong” Genji told her and Hana visibly huffed, but let her thoughts expand. 

“... I do get to come to her office very often” Hana mumbled in observance. 

“You already mean a lot more than most in that case then, Hana. I’m sure of it” Genji assured her, patting her shoulder. 

The rest of the wall was in relative silence as they made their way to the Medical Bay. Hana’s hands were covered in her own blood, so Genji knocked on the door for her to alert the staff. He helped guide her in, and the first thing Hana heard was a very alerted Angela. 

“Hana! Mein Gott what happened?!” She exclaimed. She grabbed a towel meant for soaking up blood from a rack and rushed over to Hana and Genji. She practically shoved the cyborg to the side as she lifted up Hana's head and zoned in on the source of the blood, Hana's nose. “It looks like you’ve been punched! What happened?” 

Hana felt her chest grow stiff st having Angela fawn over her like this again, and she tried not to be discomforted. “I… ran into the climbing wall. Head on. Ow!” Angela pinched just a little too hard trying to feel. 

“Well… you definitely broke it..” Angela mumbled, although that warmth was spreading over her face. Almost a week without talking and the first thing they talk to each other about is Hana smacking her face into a wall. It was at least a little humoring, the Swiss could be distracted by doing her job. 

She maybe was a little distracted, or too into her job. She tentatively studied where she could feel the bridge of Hana’s nose just right. Once she figured she had it, she looked up into the gamer’s eyes. 

She wasn’t expecting to see big brown orbs staring deeply into her own eyes already. 

That sent a blush deeper on their faces. Hana’s was indistinguishable due to the blood on her face, but Angela’s was obvious as day. She sucked in a breath before closeting her emotions, just enough to speak. “Alright, This is going to sting, Liebe” Angela said quietly as if everyone in the world was looking at them. She quickly pushed Hana’s nose back into proper place, setting the young woman into a high pitched yell. 

Practiced, Angela moved back and let Hana move as she needed, lurching forward and cupping her face. A string of Korean came from Hana’s mouth, a long list of profanities Angela guessed. A few seconds past and Hana lifted her head, tears pricking the corner of her eyes but not falling. “Ugh… Thanks, Angie…” She growled lowly. Although agitated, she did sound sincere, and Angela offered up a soft smile for that. 

“Would you like some ice for it, Hana?” Angela asked her softly, a hand on the younger woman’s shoulder. 

“Yeah… please” Hana mumbled, and Angela had still a fond smile on her face. She patted her gently and walked back to find some. 

Seeing as the display before him was over, Genji leaned over after Angela was clearly out of earshot. “I think you should gift her something, Hana.” 

“Stop it!” Hana whacked his chest. She almost instantly regretted it, pulling it back with a hissing pain. “Damn it…! Ugh, Genji not in front of her! Augh…” Hana groaned a bit in frustration, the man next to her just laughing a little bit. 

He patted her shoulder gently and with a proud smile. “I know that smile of our favorite Doctor Ziegler. She is very into you. Trust me.” 

She descended into incoherent mumbles of mixed English and Korean, gently scrubbing her face with the cloth she had at hand. She got practically all the blood off her face by the time Angela came back with an ice pack and fresh towel to help reduce the edge of the ice. Hana moved her hands away, watching as the doctor moved around, placing it on her nose gently and in a way that wouldn’t hurt too much. There weren’t any words exchanged at this time, but Hana did keep her eyes low and on Angela’s hands. 

The doctor was too busy looking at Hana’s face to notice her gaze but had this fond smile the entire time she was trying to help her. Once it was situated in a possition that got as much coverage and as little pain as possible, Angela hummed a little. “All patched up.” She said softly. 

Hana replaced Angela’s hands with her own, holding the pack carefully. “Thank you, Angela…” 

“You’re welcome, Hana” The angel smiled sweetly, and let out a breath of contained stress. “You’re… always welcome back…” 

“I know” Hana responded and tried giving a hopeful smile up, even if it was mostly obscured by the towel and pack. 

Angela gave her one last little pat, before she went back into her office, perhaps just a bit too quickly. Hana herself sighed, and playfully punched Genji’s shoulder before he said anything. “Don’t even start.” She discouraged him before he started laughing a little. 

They heard the click of Angela’s door on their way out, and Hana just ended up rolling her eyes. First, it was silent, then she broke up into little, uncontainable giggles until she burst out laughing. Genji ended up joining her, figuring they were laughing for the same reason. 

The Swiss doctor, on the other hand, leaned against her door, eyes closed as she slowly slid down to sit on the floor. She didn’t care if it was remotely dirty at that point, she just needed a moment. She took a deep breath, and took her phone out of her lab coat and quickly opened up the messages between her and Lena.

_Angela_  
_15:42 - Lena, I can’t believe I’m about to ask this, but do you know where I can get Valentine’s gifts?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The tensions so thick you could cut it with a knife! I do love writing these two dorks and I can’t wait writing them being cute and lovey dovey on each other~! Angelas slowly getting over the little age hump I assure you. 
> 
> Thank you all for reading and I will always be taking comments and suggestions~


	15. Level 15 - Confessions (Checkpoint!)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hana and Angela get gifts for one another and finally confess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Halfway done! Well, maybe a little more than halfway. Regardless, here is the very patiently awaited chapter 15, where these two finally confess! Y'all didn't know what chapter it would be but I did thanks to my outline. Enjoy!

This mission was the first in a long time to cause Hana to get her nerves wracked. The first time in a year and a half since she felt her heart almost explode from her chest from anxious feelings and fear of the unknown. This was the only time her feelings ever rose to when she looked at that behemoth in its face and poured rockets in its face. 

Funny how something as simple as a crush can do that to you. 

Hana was running around the town later in the same day, not only trying to find chocolates for Angela, the very same she got her for Christmas, but anything that she hadn’t already gotten the doctor beforehand. She tried being original, and she had the suggestion of Genji and Lena on her side still. They both knew the doctor pretty well by this time and she wasn’t going to disappoint them by getting lackluster gifts for Angela. 

So far, she had the chocolates. She had other little Swiss snacks that she guessed Angela would like and even found her favorite brand of coffee that Hana was sure she was nearly out of. It wasn’t the most heartfelt gift, no, but it showed that she was attentive, and was very willing to be even more so if they decided that this was the thing for them. 

Yet, something still felt like it was missing from her little ‘gift basket’ this time around. Last time she got Angela a special mug, but what other personalized things could she give the doctor?

The question seemed to answer itself as Hana walked by a bookstore, plastered with posters of new novels and special deals. A few of them even made sense to Hana to get for herself. Not only that… she did recall that Angela liked reading, too. 

\--- --- ---

Angela had a list given to her by Lena early on in the morning of Valentine’s Day (damn that energetic Brit), listed with several different things Lena had figured out about Hana for one rhyme or reason. Angela figured she knew Hana pretty well by this point that she could probably get gifts on her own, but Lena had insisted on helping out. Even right down to the size of clothing Hana wore. Lena apparently got the information from invading Hana’s things in the locker rooms where most of everyone’s gear was stored, finding the size in the collar of one of her Plug Suits. 

Of course, clothes shopping wasn’t part of the plan for Hana. She thumbed the list in her hand, looking a bit lost in the bigger bits of the town the Watchpoint was nearby. Some of the stores looked… intimidating for Angela to go in, but that was mostly due to her typically going to stores only for her medical equipment she couldn’t order online, like her clogs or her favorite kind of cotton turtlenecks.   
The first store she went in was full of teenagers, all kinds of them, and Angela really saw the impact that Hana had on the most recent generation of people. There were posters of her in the back of the shop, items with her signature logo, people waiting in line to buy them or games that Hana herself recommended or played, and even a recording of one of her streams on her games was playing. Wait, was it a recording? 

Angela stepped closer to the screen and watched, looking closely. She found that red dot that signified a live performance, and the Swiss woman had to almost stifle a laugh. “So she still does play games like this sometimes…” She murmured under her breath, watching Hana move in the stream. IT was a completely different Hana Song than she had watched before on that stream of the mission, she seemed practically human then, even if it was a bit of a face. 

She could barely see a sliver of the chat window to the stream and saw it fly by with comments. Hana responded to a few that stood out amidst her gameplay, and she smiled as she answered each question. That was a very charming disposition… Angela’s face was almost too peaceful to be considered normal, and she looked around the shop for what Lena had suggested. As she glanced through the selections, she was going to grab a shoot em up game that had been reported to not yet be in Hana’s library, when something else caught her eye. A two player game.

_”It never hurts to be adventurous, does it, Ziegler?”_

\--- --- ---

 

Back in her own quarters now, around 11:00, Angela was figuring out what she could do in order to put this together n the nicest way she possibly could. She was planning on finding Hana later on in the day when there weren’t so many officials around. She wanted the gift of hers to be special and given at a special time. She had a lot to make up to Hana, after all, and she needed to explain herself to the poor gamer, explaining what she meant by ‘child’... and even then how foolish it was to use that sort of comparison. 

The blonde tried to not let her heart be overrun by guilt, but sometimes she couldn’t help it. Hurting people was not in her nature. 

She was so focused on her task of preparing this gift just right, she jumped at the sound of a nock on the door. “Verdammt…” Angela muttered under her breath. Leaving her room and shutting the door, she moved to the front of her living space with intention of answering it, when it slid open itself.

“Hana!” Angela exclaimed, perhaps a little too surprised. 

The young soldier brimmed from the door, a brighter smile on her face than Angela had seen in awhile, as well as partially smudged ‘war paint’ that remained on Hana’s face from her earlier gaming session. It was almost some kind of a relief to see her this happy. But now the new question was, why is that?

“Morning, Angie. I hope you don't mind that I dropped by kinda early, huh? I didn’t see you in the office so I figured I’d come see if you were in here.” Hana was very glad Angela couldn’t see the hands hidden behind her back, fidgeting with the bag strings of her gifts. 

“Of... course, I don't mind. You’re always welcome.” Getting over the shock, Angela tried to pose a cheerier and more excited disposition. “Would you like some tea? I was… just thinking of making some.” 

“Please and thank you, Angela.” Hana’s voice churned out what seemed to be a slightly nervous giggle. It was nice to see that Angela wasn’t the only nervous one of the bunch. 

As she started the water for the tea, she heard Hana put done something on the island counter. Curiously, Angela turned her head just to find a sizeable yellow gift bag with pink tissue paper puffing out of it. She almost sucked in a bit of a surprised breath but left behind a smile. “Is this for me, Hana?” 

“Yeah! Ha… Happy Valentine’s day, Angela.” Hana grinned just a bit, pushing it towards Angela with some kind of shy confidence. 

That tugged at Angela's heart, and she couldn’t help but return the smile as she pulled out the tissue paper. Of course, the first thing she found was a box of Läderach chocolates that she adored. Already this was looking to be a much better Valentine's than Angela had in years, and she hadn’t even confessed yet! 

Digging deeper and deeper into the bag, Angela's smile only grew as she found more of the trinkets and sweets Hana picked up, including the blend of coffee she drank. Hana really did want to give her a good holiday, didn’t she? But there was no way all of this was from Hana… was there?

A soft pink card and two different kinds of books were left at the bottom of the bag. One was a novel the doctor recognized as a novel she had been looking forward to reading for ages, and the other was its sequel. The wide smile on her face only proved to make Hana’s all that much bigger. Clearly, she had done something right. 

“Hana… Liebe, Did you get me all of this? All of these things?” Angela asked. Her tone of voice was soft, almost as if she didn’t believe the scenario in front of her. 

It was very real, and Hana had the brightest blushing face that Angela had seen on her yet. “I did. I know you probably have a lot of people giving you gifts today… So I wanted to be extra special and stand out.” Hana said, confidence now brimming in her entire form. 

All of it made the Swiss woman’s heart swell with all sorts of emotions. In happiness, in appreciation… and even in affection. 

She cleared her throat before deciding to attempt to respond. Now was a better time than any, while they were on the subject. “Well… I have something for you too, Hana.” 

That sure got the gamer’s attention. She stiffened her posture and looked up into Angela's eyes. “R… Really? You got something for me this time?” 

Angela gave her a gentle nod and disappeared for a moment back into her room. Hana waited patiently, staring at the door with a soft blush over her face blending in with her war paint. It was only a few moments of fumbling before Angela came back out with a box of her own, and a hefty pink blush clashing with her blonde hair. “Of course I did,” she added with a soft smile as she handed Hana the box. 

Curiously, the younger soldier propped it on the table and popped the top open, hardly wrapped, but it did have hearts and decorations over it. There was also pink tissue paper inside, but something besides that stuck out among everything else in the box. It looked like a big fluffy ear… 

Tugging on it, Hana ended up pulling out a pink, plush bunny rabbit, hugging onto a heart. A classic Valentine’s staple with a rabbit instead of a bear, with the heart it held blank. It was big enough to just be huggable, and that’s exactly what Hana did, her eyes brimming with full happiness. “How’d you know I collected plush bunnies?” She excitedly chirped, and Angela scratched the back of her neck with a nervous little giggle. 

“Intuition told me you’d appreciate it. That’s not the only thing in there, though.” Angela smiled a little bit and had a kind of feel-bad grin over her features. 

Gently placing the stuffed bunny on the countertop, Hana dug deeper into the tissue paper and wound up pulling out a few little snacks that Angela had noticed Hana liked to eat. Not to mention a few various boxes of chocolate, one in a heart shape. It didn’t get amazing until she picked out that little game case at the bottom of the box. A two player game that Hana had actually been looking forward to playing, and on its cover was a yellow sticky note. 

_“Can I be your Player 2? - Angela”_

That just about did it 

Hana dropped the game case, practically rushing and running into Angela’s arms and laughing out loud. “Angela! You’re the greatest! Thank you!!” Hana exclaimed, squeezing her favorite doctor and even jumping a little. This caused Angela to start laughing too, and she hugged Hana tightly. 

“Anytime, Hana… I figured you of all people deserve… something kind of special.” Angela smiled as the younger pulled away, looking back at the game and the post it. “I take it you liked the idea of having a second player in your life?” 

“Of course I do I-” Hana paused midway through her appreciation, pausing at the floor and then turning to look back at Angela’s face. 

The Angel was blushing, her eyes focused and looking deeply into the gamer’s own. It was a soft exchange as if they both were trying to make sure Angela had just said exactly what she said. Hana’s face was in some kind of awe and shock, glancing at Angela’s entire figure. Nothing about her seemed to be anything remote of a joke. There still seemed to be a minor fit of doubt in Angela’s eyes, but that was it. 

For a few moments, Angela almost thought that she had been wrong about Hana’s feelings, thanks to Lena misinterpreting it as well, When Hana rushed forward, she knew it hadn’t been wrong at all. 

The gamer’s arms wrapped around her middle tightly, squeezing her tightly. She started busting out in laughter and giggles once more, her arms squeezing Angela to her own body tightly. “Oh, Angela… I. Yes! I’d love a player two! I’d love for _you_ to be my player two, oh my god..!” She pulled away now, cupping Angela’s face in between her hands and looking back into her eyes. “You like me back?! You really do??” 

Angela couldn’t stop the giggles that rose up in her chest, seeing how excited and happy Hana was. Her heart was pounding and fluttering against her chest, but that didn’t matter at this moment. She put a hand on top of Hana’s head, smoothing out her messy hair and smiling with a soft hum of appreciation. “I do, Liebe... “ She mummed softly. There was a deep sense of satisfaction in finally actually holding her like this, even just a little bit. 

Hana almost wanted to nuzzle her but held herself back. “What… what was the child thing the other day then? W.. What did that mean if you actually have something for me?” Hana asked. 

Angela sucked in a breath for a deep sigh and brushed some hair out of Hana’s face. “I… didn’t think about it in the moment, Hana… I wasn’t calling you a child but. We aren’t going to pretend you’re young. Just think of the things those around the base would say if they knew we were dating. Do you know how many years we have apart?” Angela asked her softly. 

The gamer let her head fall down a little bit “Yeah… I guess that is pretty big of a gap… eighteen years right? Yeesh…” Hana mumbled, and Angela nodded slightly. 

The down attitude was only there for a moment before Hana picked up her head. “But you realize your Age doesn’t matter to me, right? Age was never a factor in… any of this.” Hana gestured, letting go of the Swiss woman and backing up just a bit. “I never once thought that you were too old for me, or that you were too mature than me. I’ve… Always seen you as someone who just. Understood where I was coming from, understood my struggles being the age I am and in such a professional area. And… I think that’s where I started liking you, Angela. The fact that you were just so damn understanding. I started getting to know you, and then we made the resolutions…” Hana let her head hang down a bit, clenching her fists just a little bit. “I’ve never been so compelled to make that big of a promise to someone or worry about someone this much before. You’re special, Angela. And your age doesn’t mean a damn thing to me.” 

The little speech was unexpected but was extremely heartfelt. It touched Angela in a way she hadn’t been for quite a while. Still… it didn’t mean it was right for… any of this. Not in Jack’s eyes. Not in anyone with a sane mind… well, that means that Angela didn’t have a sane mind either in that moment. She walked closer to Hana before tugging her into a large hug, squeezing her lovingly. “Oh Liebe…. I wish that we could… we could just do this. Without fear of judgment… but even if Age wasn’t an issue, you heard Jack.” Angela’s fingers dug into Hana’s back just a little. “... He’ll probably make you go back to MEKA if he finds out about this, I just know it…” 

Hana squeezed back, giving little gentle scratches. “I… don’t want to let go though, Angela. It’s been months and it’s so nice. Can’t we do something?” she looked up into Angela's face, brown eyes lovingly meeting blue. 

Angela’s gaze shifted downward. “I… I don’t know. I do know that we just need to be careful with one another, maybe distance out our interactions so this… whole thing doesn’t seem too obvious. But… On a night free, I’d still love to play the game, Hana...” Angela tried being positive, even if just to make Hana smile. 

It worked just a bit and the gamer ended up nonchalantly nuzzling into Angela’s chest once more. “...I’d like that…” She mumbled. “... But for now, do you think I can stay here? We can watch movies or something, or I can watch you work. Literally anything.” 

“That eager to stay with me, Hana?” Angela looked down at her with the softest smile on her face. 

“Yeah… Just a bit.” Hana tried to put off a confident smile. 

Angela returned it and nuzzled into the top of Hana’s head, the young soldier nuzzling into her neck. It was a comforting embrace, love filling the both of them up to the brim with warmth and affection. It lasted a few moments, and Angela parted from Hana with a soft smile and the slightest kiss on the forehead. Hana let go and watched her angel move in the little kitchen and take the water off the stove for their tea. She had almost forgotten about that. 

A giddy smile on her face, Hana moved to the couch and reached for Angela’s remote, going to find something on TV for them to watch that hopefully wasn’t any sappy romance flick. Or, maybe it should be a sappy flick. It was Valentine’s day after all. 

What better to christen a new relationship than snacks and a cheesy rom-com? Hana settled on some movie she couldn’t be bothered with what. She kept up to go grab all the chocolates and even her stuffed bunny Angela was so kind to get her and trotted back to the couch. Angela joined her with two steaming mugs, placing three on the coffee table and giving Hana a warm smile. Small giggles and glances were exchanged as Hana popped open a chocolate container. Cuddled up, the two spent Valentine’s just like this with Angela's door locked to anyone outside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all before anything else id love to thank a lovely bean from the HanaMercy server, Magik. She is wonderful and amazing and has supported me through this entire thing, AND this chapter is also a very lovely "Happy Birthday" from me~ here's one of my gifts to you, wonderful bean. 
> 
> If you guys liked, feel free to leave a kudos or a comment. All comments and suggestions are welcome. If you also have a fic request the ask box on my Tumblr is open~ thank you for reading and have a lovely day.


	16. Level 16 - Hiding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hana and Angela both get a little advice from Veterans on hiding love affairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiiii~ this is shorter than usual, but it will be well made up with details and descriptions in the next chapter don’t worry. Sorry it took so long but I hope you all enjoy!

The exchanges since Valentine’s day were fewer and a little less obvious as if to kill down suspicious eyes looming over the two of them. Hana was more cautious than Angela it seemed, as she did not want anything to befall her favorite doctor. 

Their walks in the morning’s remained, but meetings in the middle of training ceased. No more spontaneous visits during lunch or when Hana had a moment of peace from the relentless pace of Jack's regime. At night, embraces of goodnight barely escaped Athena’s cameras with poor lighting. 

Despite the lack of conversation they had on a consistent basis beforehand, Hana was in better spirits than she had been the week before Valentine’s day. Having your feelings returned was one hell of a confidence booster. Now at the start of April, it was clear they both had found some soft medium, despite the lingering touches and little drifts of glances. The previous goodnight hug lasted a little bit too long, and yet still left them wanting more. 

In her office the morning after, Angela supped her coffee slowly while reading not a medical article or research, but a Wikipedia article on one of Hana’s other favorite games. Angela was thankful in the next moment, that the one-way straightforward film was over her screen. 

Ana knocked gently on the door frame, but she had a way of affecting the area around her. Once Ana Amari walked into a room, you knew it. She stood respectfully in Angela’s door frame until the Swiss finally tore her eyes away from the article, giving her the attention she deserves. “Good morning, Ana.” She said softly. “Something I can help you with before you get started?” 

There was a soft smile on the old captain’s face. She walked over and took a seat across from Angela, something mischievous in her features. “You know, you and that Song girl are pretty clever. Distancing your relationship like that. But nothing has been more suspicious of her skipping to your office frequently to it only being morning and night, it’s like you have something to hide.” Ana explained. 

The only sign Angela gave that Ana’s insinuation was right was the slight straightening of her back and the purse of her lips, showing disapproval of the accusation. “You know how unprofessional a work relationship is. Why would you accuse me of having something like that with Miss Song?” There was a way she emphasized Hana’s name that made Ana cock an eyebrow up, and the slightest red tinge over Angela’s face. Damn her pale complexion! 

It was silent for a moment before the Egyptian woman busted out laughing. It further confused Angela, dropping her stiff posture while she watched this old bat get an amusement out of the Swiss.

“Angela, As someone who continues a love affair within Overwatch, not only are you clever but it’s obvious if you’ve done it yourself. I’ve kept things with Reinhardt behind closed doors before.” She explained, leaning back in her chair and crossing her legs, smiling up at Angela. 

That blush on Angela’s face got bigger. “You flirt with him as if it’s not against protocol.” 

“Technically, under Winston, it isn’t” Ana informed. 

“It… isn’t?” Angela raised her eyebrow. 

“If it was, you wouldn’t see me flirting with Reinhardt very often now would you? Knowing how stiff Jack is.” The old captain chuckled a little more, and Angela relaxed a little more. Still, she looked disappointed and downcast. 

“Then why does he feel the need to jump down my throat over a potential relationship that may or may not even exist?” The blonde asked, almost appearing exhausted over something trivial. 

Ana rolled her eyes. “He’s jealous. He also is worried you’ll get distracted.” 

“I would understand this concern if I was twenty-two or even thirty,” Angela responded, folding her hands it a tight knot over her desk. “The majority of my research is complete, my methods are almost perfected. I am the best in my field under pressure, and I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t able to keep my head on my shoulders when I worked, even if there is a pretty girl in my office on the daily.” 

The older’s smile grew wider and she stood, patting Angela’s shoulder. “You don't have to stay closeted, but if you want to move more intimately, I do suggest discussing things with Winston first, to ensure it will benefit the both of you and Overwatch. I know you will always make the right decision, Habibti.” Generally reserved for her ‘motherly moments’, Ana parted ways with Angela with the little nickname. THat enough was what Angela told her she had a safeguard in someone like Ana. 

Taking a deep breath, Angela looked back at the screen where her article lay open. Perhaps she’d have to store it away for her night time reading. 

\--- --- ---

Angela wasn’t the only one clawing for any way to get a little closer to her significant other. Hana was desperate for more time, more touch. Sure, she was the one distancing them, but it was for her own good, she figured. The last thing they needed was a write up for inappropriate relations with the Head of the Medical Ward. Hell, Hana was sure she’d get sent home for it too. 

It didn’t stop her from thinking about it though. How tired Angela would be usually during this time of day, yet how still comfortably put together she would be in spite of everything. Her smile would still put her at ease after a long day, and it was the most comforting thing in the world, next to her embrace. 

Her stare was just forlorn enough in team practice that day, just enough off timing for a certain other person to catch that glance. 

At the end of their teamwork exercise, directly before they were to head off on their own devices for the day, Reinhardt stopped Hana before she got too far, his hand almost far too big for her shoulder. “Hana…” His voice was soft. “Do you have a minute?” 

The small gamer looked up at the crusader and smiled a little, attempting to alleviate her previous distraction. “Yeah. I got some time. What’s up?” Hana questioned. 

The old lion seemed a little perplexed at how to approach, but he got low and tried to keep his voice as quiet as possible. “Are you… Dating someone around here, Hana?” 

That brought an almost immediate blush. But, seeing as Reinhardt was a dedicated fan that appreciated her expression, she puffed out a bit of a chuckle and put on her best game face. “What makes you say that?”

Seeing that she was a little more comfortable, he eased. “It’s just the way you looked today. It had the look of someone who was a little too hurried to get home.” Reinhardt said. 

“Is it that obvious?” Hana perked up, her entire disposition changing from pure confidence to careful suspicion. 

He clapped her on the back and smiled. “No, no. It’s only obvious if you do the same thing! I'm glad for you Hana!” 

“Heh… Thanks” Hana rubbed the side of her arm sheepishly. “I uh, Can’t do much about it. Protocol and all.” 

“You mean Jack? Don't worry about him.” Reinhardt assured. “He doesn’t stop Ana and I, not anymore.” 

Hana flushed a deeper shade, remembering the two sitting close together on a frequent basis. Fareeha even once reacted in quite the amusing way to something her mother said that reached her ears. The gamer shook her head to alleviate the thought and looked up at the old crusader beside her. “Right… But if I’m not careful, won’t I get sent back to Korea and be unable to help?” 

“That’s… a serious repercussion, but not very likely. For someone like you, I doubt Winston and Ana would let Jack send you back. Just don’t hold back whoever you’re involved with” Reinhardt said, trying to show some soft form of appreciation. 

Hana’s gaze landed on the ground for a moment, quiet reflection as she switched between her scuffed boots. Slowly, a smile blossomed on her face, and with a quick embrace to the big grandfatherly like figure she was suddenly off. “Thanks, Reinhardt~!” She cheered at him, disappearing down and into a hallway that would lead Hana back into the doctor’s office. 

Reinhardt smiled as she ran down the hall. It was simple to get the young ones to follow their hearts after all.

\--- ---

Her eyes were tired, and she was ready to retire early on this Sunday. Angela had lost a lot of sleep lately, lost in needing the comfort of a certain presence. Hana had ceased coming to her rooms at night as well when needed, seeing as Athena’s cameras picked up on their nightly crusades as well. The things they had to deal with to avoid Jack’s insufferable complaining… She was half willing to just convince Hana to do it when she needed anyway. Doctors Orders. 

The young gamer sleeping on her couch wasn’t the only longing factor that Angela wanted. She could really go for a hug right now, especially after what Ana had said. Just a moment to hold her close… tell her it would be alright. 

Angela’s wishes were meagerly answered. A quick rapid knock went on the door frame. Hana’s. She perked to attention as the young gamer stuck her head in, a beaming smile over her still partially damp face. “Heya, Angie!’ 

“Hana,” Angela responded softly, a smile on her features. 

There was some sort of silent connection, both assuring each other of the objective to this early visit. 

Hana closed the door behind her, and the blinds were already drawn closed from Angela’s meager need of privacy. The younger smiled, and quickly pulled Angela into a tight hug. Angela returned the embrace, squeezing her younger gamer as tightly as possible. “I missed you, Angie…” Came Hana’s soft greeting, her words muffled in Angela’s black turtleneck. 

“I missed you too.” Angela nuzzled the top of Hana’s head, smiling a bit. “Even if it’s only been a few hours…” 

“Stop it..” Hana chuckled a little, pulling away just enough to look up. “I mean… I missed you from Valentines…” 

A small, gentle chuckle passed Angela’s lips as she pulled the younger woman back into her arms. 

“Me too, Liebe…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aren’t these two adorable? I love em~ what cuties. I can’t wait to get to he next chapter for you guys~ I’m practically vibrating in my boots! 
> 
> Comments and Suggestions are always welcome~!


	17. Level 17 - Research

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A surprise attack leaves surprising consequences...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, as promised this chapter is a little longer~ Hopefully, no one kills me by the end of it. Although I have a feeling it's unavoidable. Have fun!

An alarm started blaring, interrupting their spontaneous hug. Red filled the room as the light flashed. 

_”All on-call Overwatch personnel to the barracks immediately. Prepare for battle.”_ Athena’s cool tone echoed through the office and the Medical Bay, and already the other healers made a charge to get changed and ready. 

Angela moved away from Hana, a switch flipping in both of them. “I’ll see you in the hangar, Angela.” Hana’s tone was stiff, full of maturity. It brought a smile to Angela’s lips. She herself proceeded to another room behind her office as Hana herself made a running B line for the lockers where her belongings were, her suit and MEKA headset. She always had a suit there in case there was no pre-planned mission, and she wasn’t in her room. She took this time down the hall to prepare her nerves, calm herself, and become the warrior her fans knew her to be. _To be the one and only D.Va_

On her arrival, Lena and Fareeha were already preparing themselves in their mission gear, the Overwatch logo absent from their uniforms. Overwatch activity was still banned, so showing the icon would be relatively dangerous. 

As if the rest of their line of work wouldn’t be. 

She stripped down as quickly as possible, wasting no time and spending no shy feelings, kicking off her camo pants while pulling the suit out of her locker. All the while, she kept those intrusive thoughts out of her mind. It was not the time for a repeat of the Summer of 2075, even if the situation of the enemy was a mystery. 

Pulling out her headset, Hana noticed the presence of a certain Angelic creature in the room. Casting a side glance, she couldn’t stop the smirk at the Angel of Mercy at the door, Valkyrie Armor donned and all. For this reason alone, seeing Angela ready for battle, lifted some uneasy weight off Hana’s chest she wasn’t even aware was there. 

Both shared a smile, a nod, a mutual confirmation and a silent wish of protection. Angela continued down the hall while Hana finished strapping up her suit, her emergency pistol in a holster on her thigh.

Determined, Hana was not going to lose anyone in this fight. 

In the hangers, Winston had collected all available Overwatch Members that were specialized, old and new. The instructions were simple, stop the Talon raid on a facility in Spain, 50 KM north. A short trip, short enough to catch them before they departed. 

While the others mumbled amongst one another, rushing to the ship together, Hana moved to grab her mech from its corner. Her own little area of the hanger to work on it. It was a good thing she hadn’t tinkered with it as she wanted to. Pressing the commands on her wrist she managed to open it up and climb inside. It wasn’t until she was wiggled all the way up to the front, harness on her back keeping her in place, that she realized Angela had been watching her work. Hana boasted a big grin, giving her controls a good work through, charging it forward when it was good and ready. 

Angela forced back the smallest of smiles and giggles. She’d never seen Hana set up before… it was like some kind of transformation. She saw cocky confident D.Va, but saw mature, developed, and controlled Hana underneath. It would be a spectacle on its own to observe her fight. That wasn’t really an assurance that everything was going to go off without a hitch… it never did when involving Talon. 

The short ride was spent in small conversation and mechanical movements, a mix of old Overwatch personnel and new coming together to be a strong team. Angela learned the more offensive capabilities of her other Medics and was glad that she had cover if she needed it. The area was apparently in the middle of a city, where many normal people were probably just going about their day when Talon’s ambush attempt on a facility went awry. Local police held them just long enough, but whatever was inside the facility was too valuable for Talon to leave without, resulting in the urgent detection of Overwatch sensors. The area was already ragged from some sort of destruction from a mildly unknown force… 

The touchdown was rough, of course, it was. Lena was jittery with planes more recently than not. But as soon as it was on the ground and stable, the fire was already hammering on the dropship. Lena slipped her goggles over her eyes, zipping to the rest of the team as Reinhardt pulled up his barrier shield. 

“Sounds like there’s a tough fight out there already.” Jesse was quick in observing, Hana nodding a little as the doors readied to open. 

Hana’s face was one of pure determination as a little red light dinged in the corner of her mech’s pilot’s window. “Reinhardt, charge forward and get them out of our way, I’ll cover you.” If that voice did anything, it sent chills up many’s back. Hana was not known for stern commands, then again no one was part of MEKA either. 

“Understood,” Reinhardt confirmed his acknowledgment, and as the door finally lowered in a rush, he charged forward. Several Talon goons were shoved to the side or caught by Reinhardt’s armor and hammer. D.Va came from behind, shielding him with her Defense Matrix of the mech. 

The gunfire started to cease, then reverse as Overwatch agents opened fire on any remaining Talon agents blocking the front that would keep them from their objectives. Mercy hung in the back a few extra moments, taking flight behind Pharah as she soared into the air. The battle was fully underway as D.Va and Reinhardt returned to their smaller teammates to help protect them. A flurry of bullets and shrapnel covered the field of streets already, the sight was already turning sour. Innocents had already been harmed here… Mercy could feel it in her bones. 

“Reinhardt to Mercy” The comms alerted her and gave her some relief. She glanced down to see Reinhardt and D.va hard at work, clearing their field. “There are civilians that need assistance. Do you think you can reach out to them?” 

“I can.” Was the stern, yet pleased response.

With that, she changed the grip on her staff. Her wings changed function and Mercy dove down, her body making its way to the ground where she could see bodies of innocent people, some injured, some fine… Some dead. That was a raid for you, classic Talon amplitude.

“Tracer to Mercy! Do you want some cover down there love?” Tracer’s chipper voice made it’s way through and the doctor shook her head.

“I have my pistol Tracer, stick with the team.” 

“Aye-aye” 

The Caduceus was a little laggy for a few moments, but not for long. The civilians she assisted in every which way Mercy could serve them. Soft thank yous and recognition of the famous Angel were all she needed to know her job was being done right. One of the children she saved reminded her of herself, young and scared. Terrified… and thankfully saved by wonderful forces. 

Her work was never finished. She flew across the field, avoiding all sorts of gunfire to find her next patient, tending to all who needed a helping hand. First was a grown man, shrapnel stuck in his side. Another was a man with gunshot wounds, his wife had done well in packing them to keep the bleeding down. People trapped under some rubble, stray bullets, it was a mess. She was almost deaf to her comms until a familiar call made her shiver. 

“Sniper! Why don't they fight toe to toe, those cowards!!” 

Reinhardt was clearly in disdain of those who did not take ‘honorable combat’. Mercy almost rolled her eyes but was too focused on her task of healing those who needed the assistance, getting them to cover. Bullets were flying around, and there was the possibility of her head being caught by a sniper… How lovely. 

The child she was assisting had their leg crushed by some rubble, but not bad enough that it would be irreparable. It was one of those moments her Caduceus staff was more useful than not. Simple splint and bandages would get them to a hospital, she calculated in her head. It would all be fine for the little one eventually… _”How low does Talon have to be to not even particularly care about hurting children…”_ she found her mind wandering. 

Quickly, unexpectedly, her thoughts were brought back by a startling reality. A feeling… a chill. Almost as if a ghost was passing through, but the scientific evidence did not prove their existence. Given the current circumstances, Mercy only had one mildly correct hypothesis as she pulled her pistol from its holster. It gave the mother and the child a frightened jump while she fired seemingly into nothing. 

That ‘nothing’ revealed a more solid figure in smoke. 

“Get yourselves out of here, go on.” Mercy ushered, waving the mother up. She followed the direction, and quickly stood, taking her injured child with her as she ran off. Now in the desolate area of the battlefield, Mercy found herself with her own enemy to fight. 

The mist was patient enough, before formulating into a tall and slim figure. “Moira.” Angela stiffened her voice, showing some kind of resolve. 

The woman before her had n unimpressed look about her, the expression and body language showed it. She had never been impressed with Angela’s work instantaneously. 

“Must you be a martyr to everyone, Doctor Ziegler?” Moira drawled, stepping closer. Angela’s staff fastened to some kind of holster behind her, and her pistol was now her primary focus, held up and ready to fire. 

That got a crack up out of the slim woman for sure. “Please, we both know you don’t have the heart to pull that trigger again.” She said. Her approach was now rushed, and she was ever close to Angela, a hand holding her by the jaw and keeping her close. The blonde had a scowl on her face, even as Moira rushed. She showed no signs of wavering, even taking the pistol to bring it down on Moira’s temple. 

It was a missed shot. Moira’s little ‘ability’ allowed her to zip out of the current space, appearing a few feet away instead. Tilting her head with a bit of a smirk attached, her face now displayed amusement. “Going for a blow to the head? My, something must have changed in you.” 

“Speak for yourself,” Angela responded her voice a low, bitter stab. “You aren’t one to run away from your problems. And yet you did.” 

The redhead carelessly shrugged. Although, something in her face seemed to tell Angela she ticked something. “And yet you’ve become something you never wanted to be, despite my disappearance.” She responded. 

Cocky comments weren’t always appreciated. Angela fired a warning shot, right by Moira’s head. That seemed to send a message. The wrong kind. 

Moira rushed back up again, this time she swiped at Angela with her right hand, excessively long, sharp claws and all. The Swiss took a step back as quickly as she could, and went for another hit with her pistol, to Moira’s shoulder this time. 

She dodged, and this time went for a strike up to Angela’s face. The strike unsettled her nose, but not by much. She staggered back and went for a low sweep to try and knock the Irish off her feet. She yelped as her leg was caught, sharp nails digging into the boot, and she was spontaneously thrown to the other side. A dust cloud puffed up as she landed, thankfully on her stomach. Her wings helped pick her up with relative ease, just enough to go forth and dodge another rushing attack from Moira.

All of this, blocked out any possibility of hearing calls from the earpiece that now lay on the ground screeching. 

\--- --- 

“Where’s Mercy?” D.Va called through the comms. The doctor hadn’t responded to an emergency regroup call. What was the big deal? She always responded to those, according to the rest of the team. They were gathered behind some cover, the fire ceasing for a few moments as if Talon was regrouping or reorganizing. Regardless of the actual task, they weren’t pressing on the battlefield, perfect to regroup and make their own plan. 

“Do you think it’s possible a Talon hand could have gotten a hold of her?” Pharah asked from above, trying to find any sign of the Blonde doctor. 

The rest of the team scanned from where they were as well, nothing but dust and rubble from the streets was catching their views. Tracer was the only one to gaze obviously out of her spot when a bullet flew right by her head. “Sniper!” She called out, drawing her weapons. 

Pharah dropped down to the ground as to avoid any hits, seeing as she was hovering idly. She did manage to catch a glimpse of the sniper on her way down. “On the roof of the building at the end of the street, its a bank. I think I saw purple stand out against the grey.” She informed,

“Amelie…” The Brit mumbled under her breath, something between anger and misery in her tone. “I’ll get her!” 

“Tracer, wait! Stick with the team! Damn it” Reinhardt barked at her, but she zipped off ahead into danger. When she broke apart from the group, a shadowy mist took cover on the ground, practically unnoticed. The only sign that something was even there, was a figure popping up amidst the shadows. Steps were silenced by mist and shadows, as the Reaper started to fire shots from the shotguns he carried. 

D.Va was the first to notice, activating her boosters and swinging one of her large guns into the Reaper, sending him tumbling for just a moment. “Scatter!” She exclaimed, using her boosters to get around and try and knock him off one more time. He returned to mist, only to reappear and be facing a different direction, McCree’s direction. The cowboy attempted to throw a flashbang like object at Reaper, just for him to fade again and elbow McCree in the back of his neck as if to subdue him. McCree dropped, but made a move to roll out of the way, pulling up his revolver and spraying shots.

To D.Va’s left, Reinhardt was now in a melee brawl with someone Hana only guessed from the appearance, was a felon named Doomfist. He seemed distracted by Reinhardt for only a moment, before his eyes caught hers. A smirk fell over his face, just as he seemed to change targets.

“Shit…” D.Va muttered under her breath, bracing her mech for an impact. “D.Va to Mercy! Where the hell are you!?” 

\--- --- ---

This was pretty much it. She was dead cornered. 

Moira had kept Angela’s patience for a while, long enough that she had realized her earpiece was missing, and likely scattered somewhere unretrievable. She had scratch marks on her face from Moira’s ridiculous idea of a melee strike, but her clothes were torn too, so there might as well have been some effectiveness to the tactic. With another strike from the Irish woman, Angela was swung into a wall and her emergency pistol clattered onto the floor and slid to the other end of the alleyway. The younger Swiss woman was pinned by her neck, sharp nails digging deep into the sides. 

She held on to Moira’s wrist, attempting to keep the Irish woman from applying any dangerous pressure where it did not need to be. Where there physically seemed to be a threat.... There was something holding Moira back from whatever her motive was. Angela felt a little big in the moment. 

“Why do you seem like you’re hesitating?” She inquired, getting Moira’s eyes on her own. “You’ve never been one to turn back. Why contemplate now?” 

Moira scowled, taking place of her blank expression. “Don't question me. You’re not in the position to.” She told her. 

That made Angela chuckle a little, just until her throat was squeezed on and she could feel her body pressed against the brick even further. “Don’t act like that. As if you’re high and mighty like some sort of God. Like a Jophiel. I’ve always hated that from you.” Moira growled.

Angela took in a bit of a ragged breath, Moira holding her like this was starting to get laboring. “Why not. You like playing like Azrael. Don’t be a hypocrite. Besides, you know what will happen if you even try.” 

Agitation growing but still refined, Moira tossed Angela to the ground and scowled at her form. The Swiss doctor made some kind of noise, gathering her breath back as Moira stepped back over and pinned Angela down under her foot. The stiff heel dug into Angela’s abdomen, causing some pain but not enough to make the Swiss squeak. 

The Irish raised an eyebrow, her expression returning to that of disappointment. “The research we made can help further society, Angela. You’re held back by your ethics.” 

That got some amusement, a soft chuckle. “I’ve grown since being under your wing and now standing on my own, since you abandoned us.” Angela mumbled, a small smirk on her face that quickly faded. “Besides, I’ve grown from that. I want a different apology.” 

“Hmph.” Moira seemed to scoff. She had let her guard down, just enough. Angela brought a foot up, despite the contours of her armor, and she kicked the back of Moira’s knee. She stammered, and it gave enough of an opening for Angela to get up. Her wings gave her a small propelling force upward. It seemed as if Moira contemplated a counter attack, the slight noise of static holding her back from moving. Angela awaited any moment to try and deflect whatever attack came her way. Moira was light, it would be easy. 

“To think the Angel of Mercy would really be so violent.” 

“You shouldn’t have broken me”

A noise quickly filled the area cutting their banter, Angela barely registered it as familiar. Around the ally way, behind Angela came a bright pink, mechanical object. 

“Angela!!” 

The doctor dove, hitting the ground just as the large mech came through. Not only was it charging, it was practically plowing. Fusion Cannon fire filled the alley and pelted themselves in Moira’s general direction. Her plan of cornering the Blonde having failed, she returned her body to mist and tried filtering away. Hana’s fire continued to follow the mist until it was just out of the alleyway, leaving Angela and Hana alone together. 

Finally crawling up from the ground, Angela looked up at the mech above her… but something wasn’t right 

“Hana! What happened!?” 

The mech not only was smoking on one of its sides, but it was dented in several places. The pilot's window was already cracked heavily, and Hana seemed to be hanging on to its controls by a thread, but relatively alright on the inside for now. But of course, Angela couldn’t see the inside of her mech. “A man named Doomfist was attacking Reinhardt. Then he came for me” Hana’s breath seemed a little bit labored, but other than that Angela couldn’t see anything wrong…

“Where are the others?” Angela asked, seeing as her brief glance over was enough. 

“I think they’re fine… Reinhardt has them, while I came to find you” Hana responded, her voice now just wavering. “We were calling for you! To regroup… we couldn’t find you. We thought you might have died. I’m glad I found you.” Angela could see the slight tear traces in her eyes. 

Angela nodded and put a hand on the pilots window, smiling a little bit. “I’m alright. Thank you, Hana.” 

The young soldier nodded, before her attention was pulled, along with Angela’s. Hana quickly swung one of the mech's arms and knocked Angela to the side, just as a trove of rubble came bursting through the wall. The blonde was now covered and listening to the sound of metal on metal. She lifted her head, just in time to now see the mech painfully crunched in the side, and blown into a wall. 

The building shook and crumbled, Debris covered the area and engulfed it in dust and smoke. Doomfist, golden gauntlet shining, looked among the rubble to the broken mess of mechanics and wires that was caused by this final shattering strike. There was no movement from within, and even Angela could hear the engine and power cut through the mech, no longer operational. Tears threatened to prick at her eyes as she squeezed them shut. She could only hope for the best while the man meters from her seemed pleased.

“Doomfist here. The little girl is down for good. Other overwatch members are crippled or struggling, and we have what we came for.” A moment of quiet static came after his report. “I see. Fall back then.” 

Only a small pause allowed Angela to hide her face, blending into the rubble. She waited until his steps faded before forcing herself up and out of the rubble. Confident now in an uninterrupted work environment, Angela brought her caduceus staff, somehow still assembled and functioning, and brought it into the rubble. Angela had let many slip past her hands, but Hana would not be one of them. 

_“This hero… will not die tonight!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no its a cliffhanger. Pfffff. Thanks to FlowerMachines for helping me with a little more cultured dialogue for Angela and Moira. Bless her. 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and I'll get on the next one soon. Apologies for the cliffhanger as well, but it works, doesn't it~? Thank you for reading, and comments and suggestions are always welcome.
> 
> UPDATE (4/19/2018): Edited the conversation between Angela and Moira. It now links better to reference another fic... and explains the interaction in future chapters.


	18. Level 18 - Prognosis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hana learns the consequences of her actions saving Angela.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you guys like angst? Yes? Good. Here's lots of it!! This chapter is actually even longer than the last.

_”Angela! Hana…! Are you two alright??”_

_“Reinhardt, she’s out cold. I can’t get her out of the mech. Help me out.”_

_. . ._

_“Verdammt.”_

_“Is there anything you can do about it, Doctor Ziegler?”_

_“No, I can’t Stephenos…_

. . . 

Through the slight waves of consciousness that Hana could barely register to memory, she was very aware of her condition now. The pain was wracking all over her body from various injuries she vaguely remembered receiving on the battlefield. Her eyes were still glued shut, but the noise of a heart monitor was unmistakable in her ears. Its quicker pace annoyed her the more conscious she was. Hana Song was always a grump when she was in pain. 

Although she kept her eyes closed, she made a face and a deep whine came from her throat as if to protest her noisy environment. There was a moment or two Hana had of waking up, getting her head clear, to register the area around her. 

With the exception of the heart monitor, it was silent. When she finally managed to coax herself into opening her eyes, the room looked like one of the secluded ones severely injured soldiers would typically result in. 

_”How badly did I push my mech to end up here?”_

Finally, something else in her environment changed. The door creaked open, and in her field of view, she saw that familiar mop of blonde hair sloppily put together in a ponytail, a sign of Angela’s fatigue. 

It didn’t take the blonde doctor long to realize that something was different about the area. She lifted her head from her notes to see Hana barely awake in the hospital bed, but awake enough to break even a little painful smile while. “Hey… Doctor Z.” Hana’s voice was drier than she expected it and even had to hold back some form of a cough. She still smiled regardless. 

Angela’s face, although slightly surprised, remained slightly stoic. “I’m glad to see you awake, Hana.” She said, shutting the door. Hana rested her eyes just for a moment and didn’t miss the little ‘click’ of Angela locking the door. Angela's clogs clicked as she moved and, uncharacteristically of a Doctor of Angela’s caliber, she sat down in the chair next to Hana’s bed, by her right hand. 

“Hana… Can you feel anything yet? You were given a lot of numbing painkillers.” Angela said softly. 

Hana cleared her throat and looked at Angela, then giggled a little. “I can tell I can't feel anything. The artificial electrical burns from my mech always have me screaming. You have good meds.” She tried to lightly joke, and while Angela cracked a smile, she didn’t seem too enthused. 

“Glad to see your humor is still there.” She commented, and the gamer nodded. There was a slight moment of somber thought, especially as the pain on Hana slowly started to register. She wiggled her body just a little to get readjusted while Angela grabbed her hand.

The silence lingered a little longer, something danced on the tip of the Swiss woman’s tongue. Hana looked at her, giving an up and down glance to see if she was hurt. “... What happened to me after that woman ran off?” She finally decided to ask. 

That really got Angela’s expression to turn dour as if she wanted to avoid the question. She cleared her throat to keep from choking on her words before making eye contact with the younger soldier in the bed. “Hana… After you came down to chase Moira off, it seemed another member of Talon, Doomfist, had followed you to me. After I got down in the rubble to avoid being seen, my understanding is that he used that gauntlet to… to throw you into a neighboring building. Your mech was already in tatters, I remember seeing it. After he left and the dust cleared, he practically totaled it. He crushed the side so much, if your harness wasn’t made out of the material it was, it would have crushed you too. Instead, all that receives devastating damage was your… arm.” Angela took a pause, to see if Hana would realize it or not. 

The younger gamer looked at her right hand, the one that Angela had yet to let go of, and saw nothing but normal bandages. She looked back up at Angela rather confused. “... It looks fine Angie.” Hana said softly. 

“The other one, Hana.” Angela brushed her thumb over Hana’s knuckles as she glanced over to the other side of the bed, which she hadn’t done quite yet. 

Hana was suddenly very grateful for those pain medications. 

Halfway down her upper arm was a clear and evident indication that there was nothing beyond it, gauze in place to make sure sutures didn’t get infected. Hana gave her arm a tiny little lift, ensuring that it was not just a trick of the eyes. “Its… gone.” She muttered under her breath. 

“We did everything we could, Hana.” Angela gave the generic disclaimer. “ _I_ did everything I could. It was cut and mangled, practically crushed beyond repair. I’m sorry, Hana.” Angela squeezed her hand tightly. 

There were a few moments, Hana’s gaze not leaving the excessive bandaging that covered her arm. What was left of it, anyway. The excessive amount of gauze that had covered the injury had been more or less a relief. She had dealt with many injuries before in her life but never this… severe. It took a while to actually sink in, for the reality to hit her so strongly, she didn’t even cry. 

Hana started laughing. 

Angela wasn’t unfamiliar with this method of realization or coping, but she wasn’t expecting it from someone like Hana, who in her line of work, her hands were her lifeblood. Patiently, she waited, squeezing and rubbing her thumb over Hana’s hand, watching her reaction deteriorate. At first, she was just laughing. It slowly deteriorated to tears on her face, and then the start of choked sobs. The young soldier pulled her remaining hand away from Angela, covering it over her mouth while she tried to let her noises slip in front of Angela. 

The little while Hana spent crying, trying not to show it to Angela, the blonde doctor moved to sit on the side of the bed instead, watching and waiting for Hana patiently. She had no one here with her to comfort her, that would comfort her, that was even close enough to her to deserve to see her like this. It was the least Angela could do to sit with her and patiently wait. 

She settled back into laughs after a good few minutes, and after it was mostly gone, Hana squeezed her eyes shut, a meager attempt to stop the flow of tears. She took in one more deep breath and let it out with a ragged sigh. Angela’s hand returned to grasp hers, giving three gentle squeezes to let her know she wasn’t alone. The unease was certainly there in the shakey squeeze the young soldier gave back. 

Hana steadied herself and finally made some sort of attempt to speak, despite her whole being shaking. The meds were starting to wear off more and more, making her words just that much more difficult. “I cant… I can’t game anymore, Angela…” the young girl’s voice broke.

“I know…” Angela hung her head a little bit. “I’m sorry, Hana…” 

The younger gamer sniffled and squeezed Angela’s hand again. She had the need to try and move her hand over, but only seeing her weakened little nub come into view made the tears want to start all over again. She squeezed her eyes shut and just laid back down, mildly defeated in the whole situation. Angela could see the defeat over her entire body and just sighed, her sympathy was strong at that moment of time. 

The silence lasted only a few minutes, as Angela slowly leaned on the bed and buried her face next to Hana’s thigh. The young gamer was only mildly concerned until she felt… shaking on the bed. She picked herself up just enough to get a good look at Angela’s form draped over the bed. A small twinge of upset sympathy wormed through Hana while she looked at her, despite being the one injured. From there, she lifted her stable hand and put it on top of Angela’s head, giving her the tiniest sort of rubs possible. The shaking stopped for a moment before it seemed to pick up intensely.

“Angela…?” hana asked her softly, encouraging to pick her head up. “Are.. you okay…?” 

The blonde gave a small hiccup in response, words muffled into the wool-like blanket of the hospital bed. Hana merely just continued to pet her, relaxing back in the bed a little. She didn’t have the strength to keep sitting up like that without help. When Angela finally lifted her head up enough to be heard, she was babbling in German. The words were completely lost to the tired brunette, but she could hear the apologetic tone in her voice, all the remorse Angela felt. She continued to move her hand gently and slowly until Angela finally got ahold of herself just enough. 

“I’m so sorry Hana. I wish I could have saved it… saved you…” 

The accent was thick but still tangible to hana. She shook her head and pulled Angela’s gaze up onto hers, a slight pain filled expression was over her face, the pain constantly pulsing through her arm and body now. “You did your best… that's all I can ever really ask for” Hana gave that smile a bit stronger of a tug, but almost immediately after let it fall. “I’m.. just glad you’re alive.” 

“Likewise” Angela mumbled under her breath. She took the hand that was on top of her head, letting Hana look back at her before she touched the back of her hand to her lips, a soft hum of sympathy and sorrow in her throat after she let it go, Hana barely noticed the tears that covered Angela’s face, the slight smear of her makeup. She had the intention to reach up with both of her hands, to cup her angel’s face. This time she tried to keep it back when she felt the need to whimper and cry and rubbed the tears off of Angela’s cheeks. 

“You don't need to cry, Angie…” Hana mumbled. “You did your best.” 

“I know…” Angela reached up and squeezed that hand again, a choked little hiccup coming out. “Liebe I… I just know how much your life, your career means to you. I'm disappointed that I couldn’t at least keep that for you.” The blonde muttered. 

The brunette sighed and squeezed the hand back. Tiredly, and with quite a bit of difficulty, she moved a little bit to the side. Scooching over, Hana gently patted the spot next to her on the bed, a little bit of a guilty smile on her tired face. Angela looked at the expression and the spot on the bed and felt the heat rise up in her cheeks. “Hana… You’re hurt.” 

“So what” Hana rolled her eyes. The pain was evident, but nothing she couldn't handle with Angela by her side. 

It was a careful moment of reflection for both of them, but after a few moments, Angela caved. Standing, she took off her doctor’s coat and draped it on the chair, then got up on the bed next to the little bunny in bed. She gave Hana a slight hum as she debated how exactly to go about this new found closeness. The gamer couldn’t help but giggle weakly as she pulled Angela’s arm over herself, settling lightly over her abdomen. It was only a lightly tender spot, but it wasn’t like Hana minded. Angela gently nuzzled into her shoulder, feeling the heat on her cheeks more prominently. But at least she was comfortable. 

She felt a little bad for laying on one of Hana’s numerous injuries, but after the soft sigh that came from the young gamer, a sigh that told Angela she was actually rather comfortable, she did crack a little bit of a smile. Hana too, let her angel see something like a soft smile, and nuzzled her just a little.

Hana said something then, softly in Korean. The tone was so loving, that Angela figured it had to be a compliment. She let her eyes shut against Hana, careful to not move and focus on one of the most soothing sounds she had heard in a little while, the actual beat of Hana’s heart instead of that dinky heart monitor. 

\--- --- ---

Sleep barely came to Hana after she woke up, but she was at the very least relaxed. Having Angela by her side was more of a calming agent than Hana thought it would be. With the ‘test trials’ of Angela’s presence affecting Hana’s comfort levels, it wasn’t necessarily a surprise either. Sleep never found her, but she was drowsy when the door opened and quickly shut again. She let her eyes try t readjust before she noticed it was Ana that walked into the room, her figure and presence unmistakable. 

Hana stiffened up in her bed, a bit caught off guard by the old captain coming in, but she seemed to have a soft smile on her face anyway. “Ahlan, Miss Song. How are you doing?” 

The soft embarrassment faded once Hana heard it only the soft tone of her voice and showed that she had a blanket in her hands. She smiled softly. “I’m alright. Thank you, Captain Amari.” 

The older soldier nodded and walked over. Not only did it seem she had a blanket in her hands, she had a small bag of sorts too. She draped the blanket over Angela and presented the bag to Hana. She quickly realized that it ha a number of things in it, including her cell phone. The young game appeared confused until Ana patted her thigh. “Angela had these in her office, waiting for you to wake up. When she didn’t come back I thought she might have forgotten and dozed off. She hasn’t slept yet from that mission. I was beginning to think I was going to have to sedate her” Ana’s smile stretched out a bit, and gave another gentle pat. 

Hana shifted nervously. The blanket now on top of both her and Angela was able to cover her injured arm, for which she was thankful, and lowered her gaze. “She… worked really hard to make sure I was as saved as possible, huh?” Hana asked her softly. 

Ana nodded and took her place in a chair by the bed where Angela was earlier. The younger soldier straightened up and tried to seem professional, but Ana still seemed quite lax. “Angela tries her best for everyone here. She always has, even in her younger years. Although, she wasn’t as rigid back then when commanding her staff. I’m proud of her growth.” She commented, but her face turned a little darker after. Not in a hateful way, but more of concerned way, and Hana felt herself calm down some more. 

“Do you... Know about us, Captain Amari?” Hana asked softly, her voice a little quiet even for her. 

“For a little while” Ana nodded. “Angela is something like another daughter to me. Not quite child, but family for sure. I could tell there was something on her mind.” 

Hana didn’t take any comfort in the answer, but accepted it nonetheless and nuzzled back into bed. A deep sigh came afterward, a bit of pain scrunched up in her face. It just reminded her of a question she couldn’t bare ask the blonde doctor. “What… happened after I found Angela?” Hana asked softly. 

The older soldier hummed a little and crossed her legs in her seat. She seemed contemplative for a moment before coming to terms with her own answer. “She told us you were struck by Doomfist into a building. The impact not only crushed your mech but crushed your arm. There were other punctures and gashes over your body, but your left arm was the most immediate problem. The other’s found you shortly after, and Angela was trying to break the glass to your mech to get you out. Reinhardt was able to break it for her and helped her pull you out. According to Angela, your arm looked far too mangled to repair but she did try to salvage it anyway. Her staff healed a lot of your more simplistic injuries, but all the internals, your burns, dislocations, and your shattered arm had to be fixed manually. I think you’ve been asleep for a good day and a half since you got back.” Ana explained in full.

The weight of it all returned to Hana, and she gripped Angela very tightly. Her remaining hand squeezed the doctor’s arm, before moving back to grab her phone out of the bag. She looked up once more, just to see Ana’s face. “...Thank you, Captain Amari.” 

Ana nodded and smiled, before moving to a small contraption by Hana’s bed and pressing the button. Within a few seconds, Hana felt some kind of relief flush through her body. Morphine. “No problem, Miss Song. Just treat Angela right.” She gave a curt nod before leaving. 

The gamer let the comfort surround her after Ana left, the darkness of the room from the night time enveloping her and making her feel that much better, as well as the morphine. Her body seemed relaxed enough, for the moment, that she opened her phone and pulled up her messages. She wasn’t surprised to see it not too far past midnight either. She tapped it just a few times with her thumb, debating on if she should talk to someone. Then, on who to talk to. The nervous feelings flooded her for a moment. She texted with one hand all the time, how was this any different? 

Taking a deep breath, she finally decided on who to message. 

_Tokki  
00:14 - Hey, appa? Are you awake yet?_

_Appa  
00:15 - Your mother and I are awake, Hana. How are you doing in Gibraltar?_

A few taps on the side of her phone got her to think a little clearer. The tears started to well up once again, just thinking of the reality of it all. Hana took one more deep breath before continuing her conversation. 

_Tokki_  
_00:18 - I… got hurt again  
00:18 - In a fight. Pretty badly._

_Appa  
00:19 - What happened little bunny? What did you get hurt?_

_Tokki  
00:21 - I pushed my mech too far again. I have all kinds of burns from the ports on my plugsuit. And… My mech is crunched too. _

_Appa  
00:21 - Hana I’m sorry. Are you going to recover fine?_

_Tokki  
00:22 - Yeah, I’ll be fine. Just… don't tell eomma_

_Appa  
00:22 - She’ll want to know._

_Tokki  
00:23 - I know but.... I don't need her worrying about me. Just don't tell her, please. Have a good day at work, appa._

_Appa  
00:24 - Alright. Have a good night, Hana. Please rest up._

_Tokki  
00:24 - Yes appa._

\--- --- ---  
“We’re going to have to change your bandages today, Hana. Just to keep you free from infection.” 

Angela was now back to a bit more of a normal doctor mode in the middle of the afternoon the next day, Hana’s chart was in her hands as well. It detailed all the injuries she had and needed to keep track of, and Hana made some kind of dumb face as she pressed herself into the bed. 

“I don't want to get up.” She protested, a soft color of pink over her cheeks. 

“You just don’t want to be seen in that nightgown. Who do you think put you in it?” Angela asked, and Hana groaned. 

“You’re right but I still don't want to move!” hana complained, and Angela put her hands on her hips, that kind of condescending look. 

“Miss Song. You need your bandages changed. If you don't, you won't heal properly and you’ll get horrendous scars. I don't think you want that. You also won’t be able to get a prosthetic if you don't let me take care of that wound. So stand up.” Angela said, her voice a bit stiffer now. 

The young soldier huffed but glared at Angela. “Please just turn around for a minute at least! I don't even know if I’m wearing underwear.” 

Angela rolled her eyes but nodded. A small smile cracked on her face after her view was obscured from Hana’s little form still in the bed. 

Sighing lightly, Hana wiggled her legs around on the blanket. It wasn’t that she couldn’t stand on them, Hana could feel them perfectly fine. It was something else that scared her… Slowly she moved, first sitting up. It pulled awkwardly on her skin and she held back the hiss that was threatening to come out. She hung her feet over the bed then and gave her toes a wiggle. Finally, she went to brace herself on the bed to get up and already started feeling a major difference and squeezed her eyes shut to ignore it. 

A gentle nudge got her on her feet and on the floor, even with a bit of a wobble. She stuck out both of her arms to try to catch her balance before she crashed on the floor, the pain getting a little more intense from there. 

Another soft intake of breath and Hana opened her eyes. She made it a note to check her legs and her arm before even daring to glance at her left side. It brought some terrible sense of dread, feeling a whole five kilos of her body missing. A piece that was so important to her way of life… All the other injuries she sustained seemed nonexistent, despite all the bandages. 

Hana stood there for a little too long, staring at her arm, that she jumped when Angela came by, a soft hand on her shoulder. “It’s… something you can always get help to work around, Liebe.” Angela’s soft voice lightly tickled her ear. “I promise, this isn’t the end.” 

The gamer ignored the comment for the time being. Instead, she brought her good hand up and gently held the end of her other. There wasn’t very much left, half of her bicep at least. It was quite a strange place to lose an arm. She gave it a tender squeeze and almost felt a spike of pain of something that wasn’t even there, only evident by a twitch in her facial features. She dropped her good hand, and turned to look at the blonde doctor’s face. “... I’m ready.” She mumbled under her breath. 

Angela nodded and helped her untie the string in the back of the gown. Much more than Hana expected, she still had both kinds of her underwear down. That stone face of a doctor was Angela’s expression now, meaning she was practically ignoring Hana’s poor state of dress. The bandages were not an uncommon sight for Hana either. It was a rather uniform situation from then, Angela undressing all the burn wounds to ensure they were healing up perfectly fine. Hana didn’t care to look at any of them, they just healed over old scars. Angela commented on the health they had, how well they seemed to be healing. It was nice to hear the reassurance, but those weren’t the injuries that Hana was too concerned about. It wasn’t until Angela got to her arm that she started paying more attention. Rather…

“Stop… Wait” Hana grabbed one of Angela’s hands before she started unwrapping, giving it a gentle squeeze. 

Angela gave her a bit of a look. “Hana. I need to change it.” 

There was a moment of silence that Hana wasn’t sure how to break, but she looked at Angela then at the bandages and bit her lip slightly. “I just…” She hesitated. “Angela… um… Thank you. For everything you’ve done.” 

The blonde looked her up and down for a moment but returned the thanks for a soft smile. “Thank you, Liebe. For saving me.” Angela said softly. 

Hana nodded a little and then turned her head away from her left side. Angela took it as an invitation and started unwrapping it just like the others. She kept her eyes squeezed shut until she felt Angela’s cool fingers on tender skin. She sucked in a moderately pain-filled breath and Angela put an assuring hand on her shoulder. 

“It's healing very nicely, Hana.” Angela said softly, a smile over her features. “You could be in perfect condition for an advanced prosthetic.” 

“Is… That something I can do? And Keep all of my skills?” Hana asked. 

Angela looked at her with all the compassion and worry in her gaze. “It will take time and therapy. But eventually, you’ll be able to game and pilot your mech.” She responded. “But like I said, It’ll take time and therapy. You won’t just be able to jump right back to your old activities at high frequency, Hana. You will need to take things slow and relearn everything. Do you understand me?” 

The gamer nodded, and after Angela had finished changing the gauze, she leaned forward and clung to her. Angela stumbled back for a moment, looking down at the< girl now practically exhausted in her arms. She simply gave her a slight chuckle and patted the top of her head. 

Hana pulled back a little, tears barely lining the corner of her eyes. “Thank you, Angela.” 

“Don't worry about it, Hana.” Angela responded gently and ran her hand through Hana’s hair. The brunette sighed, and leaned even more onto her lover, feeling all of her strength escape her for the moment just like it did a few nights before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Hana bean. Loses her arm. I have a few guides helping me to write her now that she's missing this vital part of her. If anyone has any tips for Hana from now on regarding her arm, I'd LOVE the help and the tips! All the more the merrier. Also, if I'm wrong in how I'm spelling some Korean words don't be afraid to correct me. 
> 
> I hope you guys have enjoyed the chapter, and will enjoy it more in the future~ <3 Comments and Suggestions are ALWAYS welcome!!


	19. Level 19 - Prosthetic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hana gets set up and encouraged for her new arm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully you guys don’t mind he direction this is being taken in. Alsoooo I enjoy digging into Hana’s past :V

Nearly by the end of the month, Hana’s arm was completely healed, thanks to Angela’s nanites. Hana still barely looked at her arm the entire time it was healing, always keeping it covered by some means. She didn’t even want to leave the Medical Bay for the first week of missing her arm, and almost didn’t until Angela practically kicked her out. Then, the remainder of her time was spent going back and forth between her room and Angela’s office, occasionally staying in Angela’s room as well for some more personal comfort. 

If it wasn’t evident enough already that she was damaged just by the unnatural feeling the lack of swinging her arm gave, it was the lack of her usual excellent balance. Losing that much weight, of course, would always result in some deficit. Hana was very bad at blocking that flaw out. 

The day before when she had been in the lab, Brigitte Lindholm had been in the medical bay, taking measurements of Hana’s good arm and taking notes from Angela on the state of her stump on the other side. Was it the best option? Not necessarily, Hana knew there were more specialized people, such as the cybernetics who created Genji’s body, but at this point, Hana was less willing to care, and more willing to just feel normal again. A long sleeved shirt kept Hana’s shame contained while Brigitte looked her over, asked her questions, and then bid her a good evening. 

Now, Hana huffed as she had her sleeve shoved up her arm and curled up on her shoulder. Angela assessed not just her arm, but now other things as well, she had some kind of checklist with her. The impatient side of Hana was starting to show as she groaned, picking up her legs and curling up on the table. “Angie. How much longer??” 

“We’re done here, Hana,” Angela assured her, and unlike the last few times, she didn’t wrap her arm back up. 

A bit perplexed, the younger gamer looked down at the remainder of her arm and gave it a gentle wave. It was scared to hell, sure. But it was healed. Still wouldn’t help with that broken ass balance problem of hers...

“It’s healed excellently,” Angela commented, bringing Hana out of her confused, observant state. “You’re practically ready for your new arm, cybernetic enhancement and all. Unfortunately, I can’t do it alone, Hana. If you want to get your arm fixed properly to working order like Jesse, I’ll need to request outside help.” The blonde explained before pulling Hana into a bit of a hug. 

The gamer sighed and leaned into it, her gaze never leaving the emptiness beside her. “... I’m getting over it, I think. But I still don't want to be seen by anyone else like… this. All broken and defective.” Hana pulled her arm over her knees, leaning against it and casting her gaze to the floor. 

“You aren’t defective Hana,” Angela said softly, moving to be in front of her. She tilted her head up and gave her a gentle smile of compassion. “This is just… a new level for you. A harder one.” Hana tried to hold back a bit of a laugh as Angela attempted to think of a good analogy. “It’s like… beating a game and getting harder levels… with restricted materials. Something like that. But something like this can't put the great Hana Song out for good, hm?” 

Hana completely lost it and started laughing. Angela grinned too, just happy to see something of a happy expression on Hana’s face, even if it did involve stroking her ego the right way. “Yeah. Something like that, I guess. Just… a harder difficulty setting.” Hana responded, and taking a deep sigh. 

Angela offered her up one more smile and took the hand that rested on top of her knees for a moment, giving it a few gentle squeezes. “Have you talked to your parents about this, Hana? I’m sure this is something they’d like to know.” Angela said, now taking a seat next to her on the medical table. 

A breath held in, and let out as a huff. Angela knew that sort of sign and relaxed to listen and be patient. Hana’s gaze turned a little dark again and she shut her eyes. “No. I haven’t told them I… lost my arm.” She responded softly. 

Angela gave a slight nod, and then another squeeze of Hana’s hand. It seemed she was coming to terms with it, and that was a step. “Why not?” Angela decided to ask. 

It was another long moment before she spoke up about it. “My parents have always been afraid of the war and the dangers going on. They didn’t like it when I said I wanted to join MEKA. My mother always worried that I’d get hurt or that I’d get killed. I barely scraped past my first mission against that monster alive, I didn’t even tell her then how badly I got hurt. For all she knows, I’m still on the sidelines playing games and not getting into fights.” Hana took a deep breath then as if to steady herself. “... We got into a fight before I left for MEKA. We still haven’t… talked about it. Haven’t apologized. I don't like being upset with her but I don't want to believe I’m wrong. She’s the same way. And cause we’re not on good terms… I don't want my first thing to gush to her is the fact I lost my arm and confirming all of her worst fears, besides me being dead” 

Angela sat back, taking a good look at Hana and her form. She couldn’t remember the last time she heard Hana sounding so deflated and defeated. She bit the inside of her lip before bringing Hana’s face to a more forward view. There were the slightest signs of tears in the young Soldier’s face, but if she was going to let them fall, Angela figured she wouldn’t. She brushed her thumbs over Hana’s cheeks and looked lovingly at her, at first a forlorn look of sympathy and pain on her features, then one of more concern. She wanted nothing more than to tell Hana to be more considerate of her parent's lives but that would not go over well. Instead…

“Tell me about them, Hana” Angela let go of her face. “Tell me about your parents. What are they like?” 

Hana looked up, considering her options and staring at Angela’s eyes as if she was soul searching for something in them. She then lowered her gaze and leaned against Angela with a bit of a huff. “...Well… my father is a big gaming geek. He loves video games and even works for a development company. He tests a lot of his own games and then lets me do it too. We’re experts at finding bug breaks and glitches. When I was younger we’d play Starcraft together but… I could never beat him. Maybe now, with real strategic experience, but he’s still wiser.” This actually let Hana crack a smile, to which Angela was very grateful. 

“My mom… She’s a very organized businesswoman. She’s a bit strict but at home, she’s mostly really relaxed and kind. When she’s upset, dad comforts her, and when he’s stressed she helps make him feel better too. Mom is just… unbearably stubborn.” Hana continued and rested her head on Angela’s shoulder. 

“Sounds like a certain little bunny her first month around here.” Angela said, poking Hana’s nose. 

The gamer rolled her eyes and scoffed in simple response. “She’s a little more on the closed-off spectrum… My dad is extremely open and accepting, I don't think I’ve ever seen him be angry or even upset…” She said. 

Angela drummed her fingers on Hana’s shoulder now and had a feeling she knew where this conversation was going. “Have you told them about your, erm, preferences towards women, Hana?” The blonde asked. 

“Just my dad.” Hana said, almost a little too quick. “A very stubborn and competitive daughter that threw herself into the forefronts of war at 16 and is a lesbian? My mom would probably never forgive me.” She muttered.

“I doubt that… People are a lot more accepting in this day and age. It’s even better than fifteen or so years ago when I was discovering who I really was, and we were still pretty far off then too. Times are always changing, Hana. I’m sure your mother will love you no matter what or who you are, or how much of you is there.” The doctor gave her younger significant other a squeeze. 

The younger woman sighed a little bit but nodded to Angela’s words. For someone without a mother, Angela was rather kind in speaking of these sort of issues. Maybe she just knew what topics to avoid. For now, she nuzzled into her shoulder and relished in the peace for a few moments. It was quiet and peaceful, something that was hard to come by in this sort of facility. Glancing at the clock, Angela decided then to hop off the medical table and assist Hana off of it. “I should get back to work, Hana. But thank you for coming by on time.” 

“Anytime, Angie…” Hana responded softly and pulled the doctor into as much as a hug as she could manage. 

The blonde reciprocated it, and smiled into Hana’s soft hair, nuzzling her a little bit even. “I'm sure with time, Everything will be okay Hana. Even with your mother. Why don't you go relax in my room and make yourself some tea? I’ll be over in a few hours.” 

Hana gave a curt nod and parted from Angela for the time being. “I’ll… watch a stream or something on my laptop.” 

“That sounds like fun. Maybe I’ll watch with you later.” Angela smiled, then she headed back to her office for the time being. Hana followed behind her and headed towards the exit not much longer after. 

\--- --- ---

Instead of watching a stream as Hana really intended, she more of felt like crawling under blankets and hiding from the world, at least until Angela decided to come up. That curling up and hiding turned into a nap on Angela’s surprisingly comfortable couch. It had been one of her favorite places to curl up and nap since she slept on it with her nightmares. Angela knew how to pick out good furniture…

Hana’s peace was cut by a ringing noise, a ringtone that she picked up from Lucio not too long ago. It broke Hana’s sleep quickly and she lunged for it in her pocket, pulling it out with a soft groan and not even looking at the caller ID before answering. 

“Mnghh… Hello?” She mumbled into the phone, trying to get herself to wake up. 

The line broke up for just a moment but got clearer as a voice picked up. _“Hana? Little Bunny?”_

“Eomma??” Hana sat bolt upright on the couch, pulling the phone away to see _Song Mina (Eomma)_ as the ID, then put it back to her ear. “What are you doing calling while you’re at work?”

_“Its 21:04. I’m at home right now. I wanted to check on you.”_

Hana audibly groaned into the receiver. “Appa told you, huh?” 

_“It’s been on the news a few nights in a row, what happened with Talon and old Overwatch Agents. Are you okay?”_ Mina’s voice came over the speaker clearer now. 

“I’m... Fine.” Hana hesitated, looking down to the absence of her arm. “I’m fine. My mech is just crushed, Eomma.” 

_”I wanted to check on you myself, Hana. I'm still your mother you know.”_ At that moment, Mina too sounded hesitant, leaving a tense air between the two of them. Silence was all that came on both ends before a sigh sounded over the receiver. _”I suppose I’ll leave you to rest.”_

Hana considered asking her mother to stay on the line, just for a few small moments. She couldn’t really form any other words before letting the phone down and hitting the end call button on her phone. 

She dropped it into the cushion beside her, giving an audible groan as she flopped back on the couch. Covering her eyes with her own arm, Hana took a few moments to think about what exactly just happened, and what better route of action she could have taken. Life wasn’t a video game in this instance…

Just as Hana was mulling over, she heard the door slide open, signaling Angela’s return. Hana quickly sat up to watch her Angel walk into the room and offered her a smile, attempting to hide her uneasiness in her phone call. “Hiya Angie.” Hana greeted. 

The blonde smiled, rolled up papers under her arm as she walked by and dropped her ID on the table. “Hello, Hana. How is your arm doing?” 

“Its… Okay.” Hana responded, trying to ignore its lack of existence. “What did you draw up?” 

“Well,” Angela sat down on the other side of the couch, putting the few tubes down and pulling out the one that she thought looked the best at the moment. “I think the teams of people I met up with have a very good idea of what would make a good prosthetic for you. Take a look.” 

A bit nervously, Hana took the tube that the doctor offered her. She untied it with Angela’s help and unrolled it. What she saw not only impressed her beyond belief but made her mood turn around about the loss of her arm. 

Detailed with a pink drawing pencil, in Angela’s lovely cursive writing and someone else's sketch, was a prosthetic that was clearly supposed to be pink in color, and near where the arm would connect to the rest of her body, was her bunny logo drawn to the best of Angela’s ability. The shell of the arm was supposed to be fiberglass, with plush gripping pads on the inside of her palm and fingers. The inscriptions on the side of the paper were more of the surgical process than anything else, Hana guessed, but the rest of it made perfect sense to her. “Perfect…” she whispered. “Angela this is perfect!!” She threw the drawing off to the side, reaching over and pulling Angela into as much of a hug as she could. 

The Swiss laughed, but gladly hugged her smaller girlfriend back, giving her gentle squeezes all the while. “I thought you’d like that. The other blueprints have modifications and other details that this base doesn’t, but I figured you would like to see this first.” Angela smiled softly, and after Hana let go she picked up the blueprint roll the young gamer dropped. “So… I should advise the teams I will be collaborating on this to go ahead and start the work and progress?” Angela smiled. 

“Yes!” Hana exclaimed, smiling even more. Her joy was… quite unbridled in the moment. Sure, it didn’t take away all the sting of losing her arm, but the possibility of having one so much more personalized now was something that excited her more than anything else, even if the circumstances were unfortunate. 

Angela beamed too at the little bunny’s excitement and gave her a small pat on the head. “I’m glad despite the circumstances, you’ve found a brighter side to this, Liebe. I understand that this may not last… perhaps after we make this a reality, you could talk to Genji or Jesse to come to better terms with this.” Angela said softly. 

Hana tried keeping her more optimistic outlook, understanding at the same time that Angela meant well about the future. She calmed down a little and looked back up to Angela’s face. “Got it. I’ll look into it… Thank you very much, Angela” 

The doctor gave a gentle smile and a pat on Hana’s head. “Let’s get to work then. I’ll need to get a tape measure to get the dimensions of your other arm first”

 

\--- --- --- 

Another surgery that was thankfully less dramatic than the last, got the base of Hana’s arm ready for her prosthetic. Simplistic, it allowed the arm to be removable for whatever reasons of comfort, like Jesse’s or arm, or several others like it. Or, in case it needed an updated design as Hana continued to develop or her taste changed. Of course, it would still take some getting used to if she changed it. 

Hana already felt a little better with a port in place of a stump. It felt more like any arm, this fake one and her real one, was just an extension of her, or at least that’s what she tried to think of it as. It was a much shorter time waiting for that surgical procedure to heal than it was for her arm as a whole, even if she still ached. Angela explained to her that the middle of the port, which started like synthetic bone, was connected to the remainder of her left humerus. There were little mapping graphs on her muscles underneath her skin to help read what her arm was trying to process, that would translate down to the rest of the arm. Angela already explained that there would be no need to put actual mapping graphs to capture signals from inside her brain, however that worked. It was one of the more relaxing things about getting the new piece of herself. 

The first few days she was simply tasked with keeping the port clean. If there was anything in the way, the arm wouldn’t really respond as it should. That was what Angela had told her, anyway. Today, she was supposed to go straight to the medical bay after cleaning it this time, which both excited and scared the hell out of her. 

Idly swinging her legs back and forth, Hana’s head perked up from its staring at her shoes. Not only was Angela there, but Brigitte as well, wheeling in a small cart with a cover for presentation. The gamer almost felt a little intimidated, seeing the tall, built Swede. She was even taller than Angela in this instance. Hana was too distracted by her to not notice Torbjorn behind them. 

“Alright, Hana.” Angela smiled, standing to the side while Torbjorn and Brigitte stood in front of Hana. “Are you ready?” 

For whatever reason, Hana felt a little bit of hesitance build up in her chest, but she gave a swift nod anyway. “Yeah. Ready.” 

The rest took that as enough of a confirmation and Angela swiftly tugged off the cover of the cart. On it was a beautiful prosthetic, a perfect, light colored pink that even glittered if you looked at it close enough. On the side facing up was Hana’s famous logo, the little angry B.Ny on the side of it near the top. She was glad to see a lack of other advertisement logos on it as well, something that was purely an expression and representation of her. 

“We had to get a sample of paint from your mech. We thought you’d appreciate it if it was the same color.” Brigitte explained. 

“All the internals are good and working fine too, made sure of it myself.” Torbjorn chimed in, a little more than pleased with the assistance on this work. If there was anything the two knew how to do, it was making personalized things and building amazing hardware. 

Angela looked at the incredibly shellshocked look in Hana’s eyes, then placed her hand on Hana’s shoulder and got her to look up. “Do you like it, Hana?” 

“It’s perfect” Hana whispered, joy in her voice. There were several things running through her mind at the moment, but right now the strongest was joy. She did indeed look at Angela’s face, and her grin was wide enough to split her face. “Can… Can I put it on now?”

“Let me help.” Angela chuckled, picking up the shiny new prosthetic. “There’s little ticks on the sides of the arm and on your port. Make sure they’re always lined up.” Angela instructed, showing Hana the little marks she was talking about. There was also metal prongs that stuck out of the arm, which Hana was mostly confused about until Angela opened little covers on Hana’s port. There were perfect places for each of the little prongs. Angela slid the arm into place, and twisted it into a lock position, then anchored it with the prongs folding into place in the port. Once Angela shut all the small hatches, she looked up at Hana. She still had a soft, awestruck look on he face, and it only made Angela smile more. “How does it feel?” 

Hana gently tried moving her arm, pulling it away from Angela’s grasp for the moment. She looked at it up and down, then jumped off the table. She then moved in for a hug on Angela, squeezing her tightly with tears about to leak out of the corners of her eyes. The arm took an extra half a second to respond like her real one, but Hana was too busy being overjoyed with herself to notice. “Oh my god… Angela this is amazing…” She mumbled. “Thank you thank you…” She pulled away and looked at the father-daughter pair, grinning brightly at them. “Thank you guys too!” With a big bright smile on her face, Hana let tears slip down her cheeks in pure joy. The only kind of tears she’d ever let anyone see. 

Torbjorn reached up and gave Hana a slight pat on the top of her head, while Brigitte gave her a thumbs up. They then departed with their cart in hand and Angela moved over and hugged Hana once more. “I’m glad you like it, Liebe.” 

“Me too… I’m so glad… Thank you, Angela.” Hana smiled, nuzzling into the blonde doctor’s chest. “I can be normal again…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaaa I love Hana’s prosthetic concept so much. It’s smooth and sleek like Syms, but pink. And only from mid bicep down. It’s beautiful. Also can you tell Hana is well developed past wise? Cause... I love it :V 
> 
> That’ll be enough of them for now. Anyway... comments and suggestions are always welcome and thank you guys for reading 


	20. Level 20 - Together Again (Checkpoint!)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hana is having difficulties getting used to and coping with her new arm. Angela searches for a solution that gives the gamer more comfort as a person instead of as a doctor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think the last time you guys had to wait so long for an update was when I was updating chapter 10! I was having a rough patch the last few weeks, but I'm happy to tell you all the grade I've been worried about the most has been fixed and now instead of being at a 44% it's at 85%. Thus, new chapter! Thank you all for your patience.

“You’re doing excellent Hana,” Angela told the younger gamer, smiling at how Hana was moving around with more of ease. 

The past few weeks had been rough for Hana. Her arm had been adjusting slowly but surely, but several bumps had come along the way with it. Even if she was only missing her arm for a few weeks, it didn’t help adjusting to a new piece of machinery on her side. It responded slower than her normal arm, and just when Hana thought she’d get something on target, the arm itself didn’t react accordingly. At first, it was infuriating, like lag in real life. The elbow down was extremely slow for her, to the point where she thought it was intentionally slow-paced to make her slow down. 

Right now, Hana was writing with her left hand. She was ambidextrous, usually, with some left-hand dominance. But at the moment, Hana rather be writing with her right hand than her left, especially since she was writing in English of all languages. The speech as she moved looked passable to read, but her arm was still moving extremely slowly. “Angie, I can’t fuckin stand this…” Hana growled under her breath. There was a pinch in what she felt was her arm, and she automatically dropped the pencil she had as the palm snapped open. Too much focus too soon. 

Hana frustratingly pulled her real hand to cover her face, groaning as her arm put itself in a reset for what she thought for the millionth time. Stings of Korean curses left her mouth at the dull discomfort, all while Angela sat off to the side with a disappointed gaze. She scribbled some notes on her clipboard before walking over and placing a hand on her shoulder. “It’s alright, Hana. We can try again later. Look at how many lines you got to write today though, I’m proud.” 

“I don't want to just be writing.” Hana groaned, letting her face go and looking at the empty palm of her hand. “I want to be able to do the things I do every day, Angela. I want to start playing games or fixing my mech.” 

In an effort to help divert the conversation ad shift Hana’s focus, Angela continued on this threat. “I thought you told me you would have to contact MEKA about its repairs?” Angela asked. 

The gamer rolled her eyes. “Yeah, but since I gotta get used to this stupid thing I might as well fix it myself and re-learn how to work it,” Hana said before she got up, flexing her arm after it seemed to be finished with its rebellion for now. 

Angela tapped her pen in thought for a moment, before she seemingly agreed. “Alright. Sure. It’s a simple enough thing to twist a few nuts and bolts. Go ahead, Hana.” 

“I was going to do it if I had your permission or not,” Hana responded casually, trying to not snap at the Swiss woman.

Angela kept in mind the process Hana was going through, and also remembered the pride and high standards the young gamer had for herself. Everything she was going through at the moment was more than infuriating, Angela could imagine. Despite this, she couldn’t even bring herself to reach out and comfort the soldier. There were still things they could get in trouble for, and Angela did not feel like breaking rules while she was still healing. 

She watched as Hana walked out of the Medical Bay, grumbling things to herself in Korean and ducking out of the way Reinhardt. The tall German had gotten himself cut on a training bot, evident by the cloth he was holding to his forearm and the large grin on his face. The Swiss woman simply pinched the bridge of her nose before retrieving necessary materials, attempting to ignore the pack of cigarettes at the bottom of her drawer. 

\--- --- ---

Hana didn’t bother changing her clothes before going down to the hanger where her crunched mech was. She had practically yelled at Torbjorn when he suggested he fix it for her, the way he asked her just seemed a bit too suggestive. Instead, she entrusted Brigitte to help her fix it. As expected, the Swede was already hard at work on replacement fixtures for the Fusion Cannon that was crushed in the previous fight. 

The gamer entered and just gave a look at the entirety of her mech, it was already in several pieces. The window itself was still shattered and nowhere on the mech itself. That would be the most difficult to replace, and maybe she would need MEKA assistance to get it fixed. 

Brigitte was more or less aware of Hana’s entrance and put down her drill to turn around and look at her. “Hey, Hana. How’s the arm doing?” 

“Mm. It’s fine.” Hana responded, dragging her real hand along a leg of the mech.

“Just fine?” Brigitte asked, leaning against the counter. “Not, ‘i can lift super heavy things now’ or ‘i feel like a beast’? Just fine?” 

“Yeah, fine.” Hana bit back a little, walking over then and grabbing a wrench of a size she knew by heart. Brigitte watched her curiously as she rounded the other side of the mech, then started climbing up on it by the leg and arm. It was more or less impressive to see the small gamer climb it, and perch herself on top. The metal disk on the top of the mech had a few bolts holding it down, to which Hana went and unscrewed them Brigitte watched with a little intrigue as the small gamer made her way, unscrewing the metal disc and popping it off the top of the mech. Hana set it to her side and she took a moment to peer inside. She drummed her fixed hand on top of her mech while she peaked up at Brigitte. “You’ve been interested in the mech stuff, right?” 

“Well… yeah.” Brigitte responded. She followed how Hana climbed up on the mech, laying on the top and peering inside. The connections were complicated, yet delicate, like a supercomputer of sorts. It captivated the mechanic, and Hana ended up rolling her eyes a little with some attitude. “It looks so… intricate. And you know how to work around it?” Brigitte questioned. 

Hana gave a nod as she pointed to the circuit boards. “They’re built tough and to last, but that sometimes isn’t always the case if you push the mech farther than it can go, or if you’re inexperienced and try to make the servos work for you, not with you.” Hana explained. 

Brigitte nodded a little. “So the plugs on your suit. They actually plug into the mech?” The Swede asked. 

Hana nodded again. “They keep us bolted in and helps the mech react to our impulses and movement. The joysticks can only do so much for moving around. It also keeps track of our vitals, or if an impact on the mech has done something, or if we’re having other reactions. It's high tech stuff. I personally had to be trained two years before I could even think about stepping foot on the field because I kept electrocuting myself by pushing my mech too far than what my ports could handle.” Hana said. 

“That’s why the suit you wear is latex. It prevents the electricity from going further from where the ports are.” Brigitte added. 

“Someone is paying attention.” Hana seemed almost amused. 

The mechanic almost laughed, giving out a little chuckle instead. “So this thing is pretty powerful. And you’ve modified it to suit your needs?” 

“Learned it all myself. What else was I gonna do?” Hana responded. 

There wasn’t any more word or question about it, Brigitte quietly observed while Hana fidgeted inside her mech and ensured all of her connections were still secure. At some point in her check, a scowl seemed to cover her face. “... The suit connections are fried, again.” she grumbled. 

The Swede didn’t say a word while Hana pushed herself up and eventually off the mech. “It ’s practically totaled now. I haven’t ruined that connection in months.” She seemed the scold herself a little. As she did, she caught sight of her arm, some kind of frustration welled up in her at the sight. With no hesitation, she hurled her fist directly into the back of the mech and left it there. 

Brigitte felt the need to intervene then, dropping from the top of the mech and looking at Hana’s new hand still on the mech, balled up into a fist. “Hey! What are you doing? You could break it, Hana!” 

The young soldier shut her eyes and clenched her natural fist a little tighter around the wrench she brought down with her. She looked as if she wanted to say something or yell something, but she held her tongue back. Hana Song was much better than that, even if she was angry. She ignored Brigitte’s words, muttering a quiet “sorry” before she completely left the room, in search of something else to do and occupy her mind. The mechanic stood there in complete shock as she did leave, watching her go with dread, but couldn’t find it in herself to stop Hana or make her come back. 

\--- --- --- 

Angela was nose-deep in paperwork, filling out forms and sorting them. A lot of it was old medical records that she needed to update, file, store away, and various other menial tasks, as well as extra notes on her current research regarding connections such as the ones she just helped integrate into Hana’s body to get her arm functioning properly. It was something she had integrated with a more closely related bone structure, like a spine, but not something as far away from the central nervous system as an arm. The impulses were there, sure, but not as highly concentrated. 

Reviewing Hana’s file and the notes she took that day, the blonde glared at them a little bit as she re-read what she had written. 

_Song shows aggressive behavior after prolonged attempts at rehabilitation. She grows frustrated with even simple mundane tasks. I fear she may lash out at other members of the base without a proper support system. She refuses to speak to Genji or Jesse and has no other way of seeking comfort or support. Any attempt to schedule meetings with Zenyatta result in her not attending. She refuses to contact her parents for any kind of close moral support._

Reading her own words, Angela felt some sort of dread sink in her body. An uneasy feeling that made her want to be sick. Her hand tightened on the clipboard with the very thought of what was passing around her. Hana wasn’t just someone she could ignore, even if she was her doctor. She needed more than the occasional squeeze of the hand or letting her sleep on the couch of her room. She needed more than that. 

She needed Angela there the most… 

Angela put down her clipboard and grabbed her coat from the hook, putting it over herself as she rounded the doorway corner. There had to be something, anything she could do. 

As she walked down the hallway, she managed to clear a path with just her gaze. A determined or angry Angela Ziegler was not someone people wanted to block or hold back, not in the Overwatch workplace. She rounded the corridors and hallways, ending up at the ‘director’ office. She shared more than her fair experiences in front of this door, beyond it, both in angry yells and in tears. 

One generous knock was all Angela gave before she invited herself in. Her entrance provoked an immediate reaction from Jack, the old soldier pinching the bridge of his nose as Winston looked to the door. 

“Angela, what could possibly be wrong with the medical facilities? Unless Stephenos-” 

“It has nothing to do with my medical facility.” Angela interrupted him, closing the door and stepping closer. Winston and Jack were at a table with Ana to the other side of Winston. It was a rearrangement, for when the three of them needed to have a conversation about the future of Overwatch. It was perfect timing on Angela’s part, the exact three people she needed. 

“If it isn’t that, then what is it?” Jack asked, crossing his arms.

That intense gaze from him had lost its intensity and effect on the Swiss doctor over time. In later years of the original Overwatch, Angela often put more fear into Jack than Jack was able to put into her. “Relationship status of the members in Overwatch now. I understand that in the past we’ve been against it, but this is a brand new age of Overwatch.” 

“I knew you had some relations with Song.” Jack responded. “If she’s causing misconduct she can’t be around, Angela.” 

“That’s just the opposite, Jack.” Angela’s voice was perhaps a bit louder than she intended. “Besides my medical staff, she is the only one who offers genuine friendship and companionship. No one thanks me for my services more than she does. She checks on me, she offers me company when I typically wouldn’t have it. She’s been more of a support than anyone on this base. And I’ll be damned if I can’t express my happiness and gratitude to this and our relationship without the threat of being fired or her being sent back home, especially in this condition that she put herself in to protect me.” It was Angela’s turn to cross her arms. “She needs comfort and support from someone here. She refuses to talk to anyone with prosthetics, nor will she talk to her parents or Zenyatta. I need to be there to comfort her, but I can’t be there all the way with this threat looming over us.” 

She glanced at the faces she just presented (more like yelled) her point to, the various expressions shook her nerves on the inside. Jack looked ready to blow, Winston thoughtful, but the one thing that kept Angela calm was the pleased expression on Ana’s face. 

She took a sip of her tea before putting the cup down. “I agree with Angela. Relationships can be a problem, sure. But there are some relationships that have been carried into the base that we cannot stop, and relationships that were even brought in before Overwatch went down. You would need someone close to you to make things easier in the setting we work in.” Ana explained, folding her hands and placing them on the table. Her gaze found Jack’s. “Don't you think it’s time the past be let go? Angela has moved on, after all. I think it’s time for you too, Jack.” 

The old soldier gave a huff and reclined back in his seat, saying absolutely nothing. Anger was written all over his scarred face, but he did not look at Angela’s face. Winston then took the moment to clear his throat and give Angela a kind expression. “After all Angela, I don't think relationships were quite outlawed this time around. We’re still growing and re-cooperating. People have yet to come and more are being recalled every day. I know workplace relationships can be distracting in most settings, but in some place like this, I can’t see any reason to refuse.” The scientist explained. 

A smile soon found itself on Angela’s face. Two to one. “My understanding is, if I were to keep Hana Song more company, she would not be sent back to South Korea?” 

“Correct” Ana answered. 

Pleased smiles stretched over everyone’s faces, except for Jack’s. Angela took an extra step forward and leaned over the table, trying to make eye contact. “When we find Gabriel again, Jack. You two need to do a lot of talking. Without the guns, and maybe with Zenyatta or some other counselor included.” She advised. 

“You’re one to advise when you’ve never made amends.” Jack responded. His gaze remained low, and Angela backed up just a little bit. 

“I haven’t made amends because I’ve forgiven myself.” Angela replied, then turned. Her coat gave a bit of a flap as she made her way out of her office. She bid a thank you and farewell before she passed the door. 

Her pace started with a casual walk. Something kind of slow. As she progressed, getting closer to her goal, her pace picked up to a jog, then a swift run. There was a giddy smile on Angela’s face, her heart racing with the thrill of love and happiness. Not only had she been abrupt and abrasive to her superiors, which was ballsy on its own but she achieved the one thing she’s been wanting to do. Permission to love Hana Song with everything she had. 

Her first shot was to try her room, where she always expected Hana to be. Upon opening the door, her theory was proven to be wrong. The room was empty, Hana wasn’t even on the couch watching a stream or a movie. That just left one more area for Angela to check. 

She made her way down the hallway, her exact pace counted in her head as she pressed her keycard to the reader, despite its red color. The door slid open, and Hana was right at her desk, just as she expected. 

The gamer was a little over the desk, her right hand had a grip like a vice on her mouse, and her other hand trying to hit the keys she needed as quickly as possible. She was playing a moderately difficult level of Starcraft, Angela recognized, but her APM was critically lower than normal, or at least that’s what Angela assumed. Hana also had her headphones on, listening to some indescribable sound that sounded like electronic pop from the static Angela could hear above key clicks. She let the door slide closed behind her as she slowly walked up behind Hana. 

She was far too focused on her game to noticed Angela’s presence, and just when she was about to rage in frustration of her arm, she felt a soothing presence behind her. Warm arms wrapped around her shoulders, gentle fingernails scratched in small, light circles. It was something entirely new, and welcome. Hana took her headset off and looked at Angela as much as she could. “...Angie? What are you doing?” She tried to not sound frustrated or upset, and with Angela’s embrace, she found it easier to calm down. 

The Swiss left her question unanswered for the moment, giving the top of her head a kiss and nuzzling her slightly. “Giving you some much-needed attention, Liebe.” 

“But habits…! And rules- We’re gonna get in trouble if we do it too much.” Hana tried to argue. The warm presence was something she rather melt into instead of fight against. 

“Don't worry, Hana. I…. I talked to Winston and the others. I told them what the situation was, that you need someone… that it was unfair to make these rules. They agreed with me. So, I’m here to support you, Liebe. I’m not going anywhere.” She gave another kiss to the top of the gamer’s head. 

Hana was a bit speechless for a minute but soon felt her mood shift to something slightly more positive. She got up from her chair and hugged Angela tightly. There was a bit of an abrasive feeling with her arm, but neither could care at the moment. 

“You’re frickin’ amazing, Angela.” Hana mumbled, nuzzling into Angela’s chest and even tilting her head up every now and then to litter her cheek and jaw in kisses. The Swiss woman ended up giggling in the process, patting Hana’s head and running her hand through her hair. 

After the little appreciation, Angela parted from Hana and pulled the chair a little, giving Hana a bright smile while the gamer looked up at her.. “Why don't you give this level Another try, Liebe? I’ll watch you.” 

“Sounds great, Angie!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angela and Jack have a lot of serious issues from the past harassing them, don't they? Unfortunately, we won't get to those issues in Valkyrie's Game, but in their own separate fanfictions, or maybe even in the same one. ;) 
> 
> I thank everyone for their support and patience, and I'm glad for the fans who enjoyed the other work that I managed to post in the meantime, and I'm thankful for the support you all have given me. Thank you guys and remember your comments and suggestions are always welcome! Thank you!


	21. Level 21 - The Rain Check

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hana and Angela take time off base and get to know each other better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! Here's chapter 21 finally! I hope you guys don't mind that it's a little short.

Despite the freedom given to the couple, they hardly spent it any time but behind their closed doors. Cuddles on the couch, watching movies or even snuggling in bed. It was mostly because both were still unsure of displaying their more private aspects more openly. The one time they decided to end up giggling and cuddling up to one another in the recreation room, Lena had walked in and began to tease them. 

The close cuddles and embraces were more than enough to keep Hana at least mildly satisfied as she progressed more and more with her prosthetic. There were times when her frustration was far beyond even Angela’s control, and others were soothed simply by offering cuddles while playing simple hand-helds. The doctor herself became rather infatuated with what Hana called the 4th generation of Pokemon after watching her play it for so long. By the middle of June, Hana had made surprising progress towards mastery of her arm. Enough so, that the gamer herself decided to make a risky decision. 

Midway through the current therapy session of that Saturday, Hana was humming a little-distracted tune as Angela watched her. One of the more impressive feats of Hana’s regime was the fact she was encouraged to play games like Starcraft in order to get the dexterity back. Her APM was on the upper end, but not anywhere close to what it once was. It was still improvement enough for Hana to pass the levels and feel satisfied while doing it. 

Finishing another section under Angela’s watch, Hana pushed herself away from Angela’s desk and glanced up, a small smile on her face. “Its an improvement… At least I can probably win a noob tournament.” Hana snickered. 

Angela shook her head but gave Hana a soft smile regardless. “As long as you feel like you are improving, Hana,” Angela responded, giving her a gentle pat on the shoulder. 

After jotting down some notes, Angela put her clipboard upside down next to Hana and relaxed a little bit against her own wall, giving Hana a sympathetic gaze. “You have that look on your face like you want to say something.” She added, crossing her arms in a relaxed posture. 

Hana seemed contemplative, flexing her hand a little as she thought about it. “Yeah. Can you get Sunday off?” 

“Sunday, huh?” Angela pondered. “... Ana did say she’d be interested in frequenting the Medical Bay more often. Stephenos’ training with his Valkyrie MK III suit is complete as well so he can return. I suppose I can find the time.” She finished. 

“Good” Hana gave her one of her signature smiles, a flash of her teeth. “I wanted to go out on the town, visit some shops in Spain, maybe eat somewhere while we’re out that isn’t cooked by hungry soldiers. Does that sound cool?” 

The doctor almost opened her mouth to immediately respond but found herself glancing at Hana’s arm instead. She looked between the pink prosthetic and the young soldier’s excited face. She wanted to ignore it, to pretend like it was fine, that was what Hana was doing. Angela simply couldn’t find it within herself to do the same. She bit her lip, uneasily trying to find what words to say. Hana eventually found them for her. 

“If you’re worried about my arm, don’t be. I know the limits I have and can take. Besides, it’s not about the arm. It’s about me and you. We’re allowed to be dating, yet we aren't. I want to do something about it.” Hana told her. 

A smile found its way back to Angela’s face. She made a little huff and shook her head, tucking her bangs behind her ear. “Alright, Hana. If you’d like to go out, I’ll accept your offer of a date” She responded. 

The Gamer cheered in her seat, grinning like some winner of a grand prize. “Thanks, Angie! You won’t be disappointed in what I have planned, promise! I’ve been out and about in Gibraltar’s town every now and then, just enough to know all about it!” Hana lept up, hugging Angela tightly and even finding it for her to pick the doctor up and spin her around. “Make sure to be ready by 11 sharp~ I’ll wanna get there quick for gamer fuel” Hana grinned, still squeezing Angela like a lifeline. 

The Swiss woman laughed, giving Hana a strong hug right back as she seemed overly excited for the day planned. “Alright, Hana. I trust you. I’ll see you at 11 tomorrow. Now, you’re not the only person I have to watch over today. I’m observing the training decks as well.” Angela affectionately ran her hand through Hana’s hair with a menial smile. “Think you can deal without me for a while?” 

“Pfff, easy.” Hana grinned. “I’ll see you later Doc!” She pushed herself up on her tiptoes, kissing Angela’s cheek before making her way out of Angela’s office. 

The doctor leaned against her wall and sighed, a small contented smile on her face while she watched Hana leave out the doors. “Oh, Hana….” She mumbled, her fingers brushing over the spot where she had left a kiss. She could feel her won cheeks heat up over the ordeal and sighed, trying her best to remain happy. There was something nipping at the back of her brain, but until it could be figured out, she had a job to do as her pager on her hip so lovingly reminded her. 

\--- --- ---

11 o’clock, on the dot, Angela stood outside her living quarters, a casual floral yellow sweater with black leggings and boots was all she needed. Her pager was still on her hip in case of an emergency, but other than that she looked like a normal person. She adjusted the simple, black leather bag on her shoulder as she waited for any sign of Hana. 

Finally, the younger soldier was bounding down the hall, a grin on her face as she ran over. Her hair was up untraditionally for once, in a messy ponytail that didn’t have effort, but it wasn’t what drew the most attention for Angela. 

“You’re wearing a tank top,” Angela commented. 

“I am,” Hana responded. “And jeans and sneakers too. Little out of character, but I know we’re gonna be warm.” She smiled. 

“What about your… arm, Hana?” The doctor questioned, tilting her head just a slight bit. 

The gamer looked at the shining pink prosthetic, giving her shoulder a little roll. “I think I’ll be fine. Besides, McCree told me having it out can help with getting used to it. Seeing the attachment point and all.” Hana responded. 

Angela nodded, taking the mental note for later. “Well, let’s see just how good Jesse’s advice is. Are you ready Liebe?” 

“You know it” Hana smiled. She held out her right hand to take Angela’s with and started to guide her down the hallway and towards the exit of the base. They inevitably passed someone on their way out, Jesse of all people. All he did was tip his hat and smile at Angela as they walked by, leaving both of them with a bit of a giggle in the back of their throats. Hana still hadn’t disconnected her hand as they passed him, giving the young gamer a sense of pride. 

Once to the door they usually went out of, they made their way towards the town and shops of Gibraltar. Angela remembered the walk well herself, previous treks made to the shopping district had left her with bittersweet memories of the past and a reminder of her lack of decent coffee on base. Of all the things that buzzed her mind, she couldn’t help but look down at Hana while she wasn’t looking, observing her petite form and the new addition to it as well. The blonde cracked a smile, something of pride stirring within her at the sight. 

_”She is an incredibly strong young woman… I hope she never changes.”_

“Hey, Angie. You okay?” Hana’s voice knocked Angela out of her little gazing trance. 

The blonde offered up a smile instead, squeezing Hana’s hand in soft reassurance. “I’m fine, Hana. I haven’t gotten to see you casually yet. It’s refreshing, not to mention I’m rather proud of you for your display” Angela responded. 

The young soldier seemed to light up, grinning from ear to ear as if Angela made her entire day. “I wouldn’t be normal looking without you, Doc. You know that. You should be proud of yourself too.” Hana said. 

“Well…” Angela looked down a little, her smile dissipating. “You wouldn’t have gotten hurt without me either.” 

“My decisions are my own,” Hana responded, some kind of profound declaration in her tone. “No one influences my decisions. Besides, I probably would have gotten my mech smashed anyway. I had been trying to shake him off for awhile.” She turned up to try and get a smile back on her face. 

Angela tried to offer a giggle, some positive sign to Hana’s explanation. When she couldn’t the gamer squeezed her hand, rubbing her thumb over the top. 

“It’s alright Angela. Really. It’s a burden, the arm. But at least I don't feel like I’m the lucky one anymore.” Hana said. 

Their walking pace slowed down, Angela considering what Hana just really said. “You’ve been in many other fights before this, where others have been injured and all you have suffered is burns. Isn’t that correct?” Angela asked her curiously. 

The brunette nodded, offering another squeeze. “So many of my friends died in that fight.” She started, keeping her head low. “Some died and some were injured far beyond what they should have been. I was always so reckless and never suffered from my actions. I didn’t hope to get injured, but I feel like I’m finally getting back what they took for me.” Hana brought her prosthetic into view, flexing the fingers and turning her wrist. The slight mechanical noise that came from such an action made her ears perk up, just enough that Angela too found interest in the phenomenon. 

Angela then squeezed Hana’s hand too, taking the prosthetic hand in her own and kissing the top of it in a vague apologetic stance. She said nothing, however, and they continued on walking. Soon enough their pace had picked up and Hana’s hand soon tugged at Angela’s. Something had caught her interest in the distance. 

Now in the main sector of the shopping district, their idle chat having taken up the rest of the trek, Hana pulled Angela to a small restaurant looking shop, fit for sandwiches or the like. After Hana insisted that Angela take a seat and wait, the doctor took her leave, aiming for a corner window seat that allowed her to gaze at the passing clouds, getting lost in her thoughts. The chatter around the shop was mere white noise to Angela’s mind. She eventually shut her eyes, taking in the feeling the shop gave her and sighed. For the first time in a while, she was in a completely normal setting. And it scared her. 

Her blank mind was interrupted once Hana came back, two trays in her hand of what looked to be a thick, toasted sandwich.

“Toasted Club sandwiches on sourdough.” Hana started up, smiling as she sat in her chair across from Angela. “They’re the best thing here and have a lot of veggie stuff on them too.” 

“You, not completely trashing a meal with your gamer snacks?” Angela smiled, taking one side in her hands. “I never thought I’d see the day.” 

“Oh stop it. I can be healthy sometimes.” Hana responded with a bit of a snicker. She smiled fondly at Angela before she herself started to nibble on her sandwich, taking quicker bites. 

Their meal was shared in silence, only backed by the white noise of the shop. The doctor wound up surprising Hana, finishing her own meal just as quickly as she did. Not only did it cause a bit of amusement in the both of them, Angela seemed a bit embarrassed by her quick pace. Wiping the crumbs off of her face, Angela propped her elbows up on the table and rested her head in her hands, sighing in some vague form of content.

“... I haven’t had something that filling in a while.” She admitted. 

“Maybe you should come down to the mess hall more than once in a blue moon, and you might get something good all the time,” Hana responded, a gentle smile on her face. 

It did not last long. She observed the expression on Angela’s face, tilting her head to the side to observe it a little better. “Hey, Angie? Are you alright?” 

The Swiss merely let her gaze fall a little. Silence accompanied them both for a few moments before Angela started up with a soft sigh. “I was thinking back on what you said, about finally repenting for your teammates,” she said. “There have been countless times my medical tent has been ambushed, imposed on, hurting myself, my aids, and my patients. They all suffered… while I suffered injuries, I always healed. I watched them suffer while I felt the heat of healing grace me. I wish I could feel their anguish for more than a few seconds sometimes… The attack is always focused on those healing and those already dead. For them to suffer what was intended for me… Well, it doesn’t feel good…” Angela explained, hanging her head a little in shame. 

Hana reached over, grabbing Angela’s hand generously with her own and squeezing it. “Your nanites save your life every time, don't they?” Hana asked her curiously. 

“I am a hypocrite to what I preach. Human and self-experimentation is completely unethical, and something I myself am ashamed of. I cannot even replicate my results for anyone else… part of my study I can only test once by myself.” Angela said softly. “To test the potency of my nanites, I injected them myself, inflicted injuries, just to see how they’d react. At the time I thought it was the best way to test and not harm a soul. I know that it was reckless. But with so much injection and testing… They’re practically there to remain. And every injury I receive, I heal. Unless under heavy anesthesia. Not like such measures will be necessary.” Angela continued. 

“You’re practically immortal,” Hana noted.

“Theoretically,” Angela responded. “But with a guilty conscious.” 

Hana’s eyes looked down for a moment before meeting with Angela’s. “When the time is right, I know you’ll be able to apply that to anyone and everyone Angela. Someday your medical expertise will help everyone.” She said, giving her Angel’s hand another squeeze. 

She stood from the table then, a smile spread across her face wide with glee and confidence. “Let’s go shopping around, huh? I bet we’ll find something neat. If not, at least we would have enjoyed the day out of the base.” 

The Swiss woman looked up to see some kind of hope in Hana’s face that spread to her own. A small smile spread, allowing her to pull herself up and stand with Hana. “It sounds like a wonderful plan.” She responded before grabbing the disposable trays they had been eating from. 

Once tossed in the trash, the pair made their way outside the establishment back to the buzz of Gibraltar. The air was a little more festive on both of their consciences. 

Angela allowed her body to go a little limp as Hana started to practically drag her away to the rest of the district. Their stops included a clothing shop, where Angela treated Hana to a light jacket as the clouds started to roll grey. A small set of self-indulgent makeup came from another shop, as well as a color palate painted on Angela’s forearm from Hana’s tomfoolery. 

As they walked around the district, visiting various shops and stores to treat themselves, a coated figure watched them from a distance. A finger to hear ear sparked up a communication channel. “They look happy, Chica. What’s the problem?” 

_”I was merely curious, Sombra. Come on back.”_ Moira’s voice sparked through the earpiece, little more than bitter amusement coming through. 

The hacker shrugged. “Aren’t we gonna do something about it?”

_”No. Nothing.”_

“Ay, where’s the fun in that? But fine. I have all I need anyway. Sombra out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again I appologize for how long this took. BUT Im no longer being hindered by bad grades. I have done everything I needed to in order to catch up and I’m passing every class 


	22. Level 22 - I'm Feeling 20, Too.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Hana's birthday, and Angela treats her to something kinda special.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thankfully, there was a bit of a shorter wait this time around than there was for the last chapters. Thank goodness right? Hopefully you guys love some tooth rotting fluff.

“I’m worried about your arm lately, Hana.” Angela was observing it, dispatched from Hana as it was undergoing diagnostics in Angela’s office. Hana had been training frequently the past few months to get most of her physical function back in her arm, the result was it feeling disconnected, or even almost dislocated. “I would try to be careful with it. Take a break from training, please.” Angela’s voice was a little more than pleading. 

Hana offered up a small shrug. “I’ll throw fewer punches with it. But Angela I need to regain my strength. MEKA won’t take back a defective soldier.” 

“I’ve told you before, you aren’t defective,” Angela responded softly. “You need time. Besides, they aren’t going to recall you back any time soon for active duty if we say we have a plausible reason to keep you in Overwatch. That’s what we had to do for Reinhardt years ago.” she added. 

Hana rolled her eyes a little but still held a soft smile that told Angela she wasn’t full heartedly showing attitude. “I suppose, Doc. I’ll try to take it easy.” 

Angela gave her a small smile, quickly leaning and taking a kiss to Hana’s forehead. The gamer blushed a little, a small signal of peace before something rang aloud. Hana’s blush grew brighter as Angela’s attention turned back to her notes for Hana, glancing over the information once more to see that the computer printed it out correctly. 

Her eyes fell on something in particular that got her attention as Hana answered the cell phone in her pocket. 

“Appa! What are you calling me for? You’re supposed to be at work right now..” 

The static from the phone didn’t reach Angela’s ears, but even she knew before Hana the reason for the call. It was July 22, or rather Hana’s birthday as indicated by her medical charts. 

Letting the conversation distract the young soldier, Angela put down her clipboard and instead picked up a notepad, quickly scribbling on the surface of notes before tearing it off and stuffing it in her pocket. A smile was plastered on her face as she left her coat on the chair of her desk. “Hana, I’m going to be out of the office for the morning. I remembered I have meetings with Jack and Winston today. Do you think you can stay out of trouble while I’m occupied?” She asked quietly, as to not disrupt the phone call. 

Hana nodded, not even paying full attention to what Angela really said as the conversation spun off into Korean. Her tone of voice was unreadable, but from her expression, Angela could tell Hana was starting to light up more and more. She departed with the door giving an audible shut noise. 

_”Was that Doctor Ziegler I could hear on the phone, Hana?”_ Seojun had interrupted the current conversation. 

“So what?” Hana responded, her natural accent thick and quick. “I talk to her a lot. She’s... a good friend.” 

_”Good friend, huh?”_

“Dad!” 

Her father laughed on the other end of the line. _”I’m only teasing, Bunny. Do you have plans for your big day?”_

“I… have paperwork to catch up on. Official stuff.” Hana lied, glancing at the mechanical arm as she flexed it. The connection felt fine now, after Angela’s tinkering. “You know how businesses and organizations like their paperwork. Mom tells you all the time.” 

_”That she does. I’ve got to get back to work now. Happy birthday Hana.”_

“Thank you. Talk to ya soon…” With that, Hana removed the phone from her ear and clicked the end call button on the screen. She let it fall to her side with a bit of dissatisfaction, shutting her eyes and reveling at the moment. A few rounds of deep breathing and she was sitting back up looking at her arm. She gave it another good flex, able to hear its slight mechanical whir as the connections worked. “Paperwork” She grumbled under her breath before getting up. Looking around the office, Hana suddenly had a bit of a perplexed expression on her face. 

“Angie?” 

\--- --- --- 

Unable to find Angela in her lab or her office, Hana resorted back to the previous activity that she had in mind for the day. Training. Not just any training, however. 

Training with Genji.

Physical brawls were part of Genji’s becoming an assassin. His main weapon was of a sword, of course, so he needed to have some sort of physical backing. He agreed to help train Hana back up to a proper physical performance, her new arm included. 

For now, they were just focusing on Hana throwing punches, street fighting style. In this particular moment, Genji was holding Hana in a light choke hold. Enough that she was immobile, loose so that she could breathe. 

She tucked her chin down below his mechanical arm, a little more difficult without the squishy flesh, pulled her leg in behind his own and made a move to throw him over. She wasn’t quite strong enough to get him all the way, but she did get him off to her side and off of her hold. Hana quickly dove down and reversed the position, holding Genji in a very similar hold. 

“Not bad, you’re getting faster with that arm of yours,” Genji commented before completely throwing Hana off with a speed unlike any other. Cyber enhancements. Had to love them. 

When Hana was thrown to the floor, she felt something pop in her arm that… wasn’t supposed to pop. Flat on her back with an aching pain over her body, she managed to turn over for just a moment to see one of the locks had come loose. Not only that, but a few plates had started rising up.

“Shit! Angela is gonna kill me!” Hana sprung up to a sitting position, looking at the rising plates in the area Angela had just repaired earlier in the day. 

Genji crouched down, examining the same bit that Hana was. He gave her a bit of a tsk behind his mask. “When Doctor Ziegler tells you to take a day of rest after repairing your mechanics, its best to listen to her.” He said in a tone that seemed to be filled with guilt. “I’ve learned from that same mistake in the past.” 

“Yeah yeah… I don't know when she’s gonna be back. She said something about… meetings or whatever.” Hana groaned. “I can already feel the arm locking up on me.” 

Genji gave her some sort of remorseful pat on her good shoulder. “Maybe you can take it to the Linholms in the Forge. It’s their creation, isn’t it?” 

Hana thought about it for a moment. “They did. I don't like Torb though. He gives me the creeps whenever he asks to work on my mech.” 

“So, ask for Bridget then,” Genji responded. 

“Brigitte” Hana corrected him. “Shows how much you pay attention.” 

“I’m not exactly one for small talk with mechanics, Hana” He responded. 

She gave it a moment or two of thought before paling a little bit. “... Right. My mistake” 

\--- --- ---

Hana, without Genji of course, stepped into the forge while holding her breath. It always smelled like coal and oil stepping in that made you want to not to breathe. She slid the door shut, just loud enough to get the attention of Brigitte working on some repairs for her own armor. 

The Swede turned and lifted her welding mask, smiling at her visitor. “Hey, Hana. Nice to see you.” 

The gamer gave a curt nod to the mechanic. “Yeah. I uh, need a favor. If you don’t mind.” 

“Oh? Like what?” Brigitte turned her full attention to Hana.

The gamer had a bit of a blush on her face as she popped off the rest of the locks on her arm, allowing it to pop off and be given to Brigitte for analysis. “I uh, Popped something inside of it sparring with Genji.” 

“Hana” The taller brunette sounded a little deflated. “You know this model wasn’t exactly made for any fist to fist combat. I know you want to get stronger and all, but if you want something that is sturdier for combat we’ll have to fabricate something else for you. This was made in mind of your gaming skills that you need. I’m sure in time we can make one that can do both, but until then you really need to be careful.” 

“I know.” Hana groaned. “I promise I’ll take care of it better. Just please help me fix it before Angela comes back from… wherever.” 

“Angela isn't here? That explains why you came to me.” Brigitte said as she stood up. She carried the prosthetic over to a much more suited work bench while Hana followed, nervously rubbing the port it detached from. 

Brigitte carefully pulled off the plating, then looked at the complex mechanics inside. Once she started working on it Hana leaned against the desk and started to pout a little. “It’s not my fault Angela isn’t here. She just ran off while I was on a phone call” Hana started in some ditch effort to start a conversation. 

“That’s kinda unlike her. Did she say anything as she left?” Brigitte asked, tone filled with some annoyance from the screws. 

“Something about a meeting I guess. I don't remember.” Hana responded. “She just. Poof.” 

“Maybe she went to go do something special for you or something. Practically the entire base knows you’re dating now. Now that you guys don't have to hide maybe she’s getting you some little gift.” Brigitte suggested.

Despite the slightly disturbed tone Brigitte had in her voice, Hana ignored it. She thought for a moment or two on the situation at hand before her eyes got big. “It's my birthday today. She must have seen it on my medical chart.” Hana then let her head fall on the table as she groaned. 

“What’s so bad about her celebrating your birthday? If I had a girlfriend I’d like her to acknowledge it.” The Swede said, a faint blush on her freckled cheeks. “I think it’s sweet. Angela was always a thoughtful person when she was over for the holidays. She got each of my siblings something from her world travels.” 

“It wouldn’t be so bad if I didn't forget myself until my dad called me,” Hana grumbled, lifting her head a little off the table. “I didn’t even tell her ahead of time or anything. I kinda feel bad if it’s just spontaneous. Her schedule isn’t exactly that flexible.” 

Brigitte shrugged. “There are at least four other medics on base, plus me if it really gets down to it. Angela can step out for a few hours now. Papa said she used to lock herself up in her labs endlessly with her old lab partner… someone named O’Deorain. We’re all glad she finally attached herself to someone outside of the lab.” 

The gamer gave a curt nod. Brigitte turned from her position at the table, the arm now fixed with plates fully secure. “Here, Hana. I got all the screws back in place and your plates more stable. We’ll work on a stronger model at some point that you can fist fight with. Until then, try sticking to gaming?” 

“Sure. I can try.” Hana waved it off, offering the port of the prosthetic back to Brigitte. The mechanic quickly and simply plugged it back into place, exactly how it was before. Hana held it on her own for a moment, giving her prosthetic a second to reconnect to everything before flexing the wrist. “Perfect fix. Thanks, Brigitte.” 

“Any time. Really, please be careful with it.” Brigitte pleaded. 

“Yeah yeah,” Hana replied. She stood from her place and proceeded to walk out of the forge, letting Brigitte shake her head a bit in some kind of bewilderment. “That girl sometimes…” 

\--- --- --- 

Hana safely retreated to Angela’s room, where she had been staying the past little while. Mostly for cuddling and moral support during the night is why Hana stayed, but looking at it now and how long she and Angela had been talking and working together… Maybe it was time to just stick around. 

Plucking her phone from her pocket, she started up a text to Angela while walking back to her room. 

_Hana_   
_16:24 - Hey Angie, I don't know where you went but I liked your shower the other night. I’m gonna use it again after training. Don't get spooked if you walk in and you hear the water running!_

She shut the bathroom door behind her, completely oblivious to the sound of Angela’s door opening to the rest of her quarters. 

The angel herself walked through the door with a few bags in hand, looking like they were from the market just inside the shopping center of Gibraltar. The doctor’s phone buzzed in her pocket as she set the goodies down on her island counter before pulling out her phone, then promptly hearing the water of the shower start. 

There was a soft grin on Angela’s face as she didn’t even bother checking her phone now. She slipped it back in her pocket and started unpacking what she had bought, quickly shuffling a small box into the fridge as well. Sure, Angela’s kitchenette was small, but that didn’t mean it didn’t have utility. 

Almost as easily as suturing up a wound, Angela started prepping a dish she knew from home. The kitchen was already starting to smell lovely with the oils of the pan and saute she started on. The blonde absentmindedly started to hum while she cooked, thinking of the past in full nostalgia. The dish had meaning to it for Angela, it always had since she was a little girl, and now it would have even more. 

By the time she had started the meat in the pan with onions and mushrooms, her bedroom door slid open. Hana was in what she considered her pajamas, stored safely in Angela’s room should she stay there, with the towel on her head keeping her wet hair from flopping all over the place. Once the good smell reached her nose, the biggest grin shot up on her face. “You’re cooking, Angie?” 

“I am,” Angela responded, smiling as she turned just enough to see Hana’s face. “Special occasions deserve special meals.” 

“You’re too thoughtful. What happened to the Doctor Ziegler that couldn’t be bothered to give me the time of day when I was being nice? Now I’m getting dinner?” Hana’s tone was a playful one, provoking a laugh from Angela as she covered her pan and turned her attention elsewhere. 

“Giving respect earns respect, Hana. Besides, it’s your birthday.” Angela said, walking over and giving Hana a hug. She even nuzzled her cheek into the towel. “I thought you’d like something nice.” 

The gamer grinned and nodded. She hugged Angela right back and started to nuzzle into her top with a warm smile, holding back soft giggles despite the previous mood. “You know, I even forgot about my birthday until my dad called me. You all are more thoughtful than I ever would be.” She admitted. 

“Well, it’s a good thing I don't expect much for my birthday then, isn’t it?” Angela smiled. Her tone was soft, indicating she was true in her words. It just made Hana smile a little bit wider and nuzzle a little deeper. 

Angela let go of her smaller lover, leaving her to check on the food she had started in the pan originally. “Why don't you sit on the couch, Liebe? I’ll tell you when it’s all ready.” 

The young woman hummed before hovering over the small stove. “What are you making anyway?” Hana asked. 

The doctor felt her lips tug up. “My mother’s version of Züricher Geschnetzeltes. She’d make it often enough that I can recite the recipe by heart. I’d always help her make it. The better the day, the better the cooking wine and more the mushrooms” She explained. “If it was a really good night, she’d make Spaztel on the side.” 

“So a home recipe. That's so cool Angie. This… doesn’t make you upset at all? About your parents?” Hana asked, bumping her hip to Angelas. 

“No. Actually, it makes me feel right at home.” Angela smiled a little brighter, turning to face Hana. She bent down and gave her a kiss on the forehead, then pushed a little on the shoulder. “Go sit.” 

“Alright~” The gamer responded. She returned the forehead peck with one to Angela’s shoulder before heading to the couch and whipping her towel off her head. Without much of Angela’s mind, Hana hung on the back of the couch with a sly smile, watching Angela as she moved about the kitchen and cooked for the both of them in what seemed to be the most natural thing Hana had seen her do, besides being a Combat Medic of course.

Watching her, something came to mind from earlier, how this was actually unusual behavior for Angela as far as everyone else was concerned. A slight frown downed her expression as she thought. _”... O’Deorain. Were they a man or a woman? Maybe right now isn’t the best time to ask Angela about em.”_ Despite coming to the conclusion, Hana couldn’t help but feel her curiosity being flared, her stare now off into space instead of on the current event.

After a little while, Angela turned off her burner and turned her attention of Hana on the couch, a blank expression as she seemed to be watching. The Angel herself smiled as she grabbed two plates with silverware and set them on the other side of the island counter, everything of her cooking clutter having been cleared off as she was working. She then pulled the pan to sit in between the two plates and she lowered the mood lights of the overhead. Finally, Angela paced and lit two candles before she decided to get Hana’s attention. “Hana? Liebe, It’s ready.” 

The change in lighting finally got Hana’s attention, followed by Angela’s gentle call. She shook away her previous thoughts before jumping up from the couch, walking over to the island counter where they could eat. She slid into a chair while Angela got into the other, pressing another kiss to her temple out of care. She lingered a little bit while being close to Hana, making the young gamer smile and giggle a little bit. 

Angela pulled back and showed her own bright form of a smile. “You smell like me.” 

“I haven’t moved my shower stuff over yet.” Hana grinned, “Think I should?” 

“Me? Having an adorable young woman in my living quarters indefinitely? I think I’d like that idea, Miss Song.” Angela said, her tone a bit of a tease. She ran her hand through Hana’s mostly wet hair, her smile still settling on her face. “Really though, I think it would be wise of you if you stay here so often. You might as well sleep in my bed with me too.” 

A blush cropped up on Hana’s face as Angela started to serve them both. “You… Aren’t joking right? Sleeping together in the same bed? For good?” 

“I think so. It would help with your nightmares, wouldn’t it?” Angela asked softly. 

Hana lowered her gaze a little at the prospect of them. “Well… your presence does make a difference.” She said. 

“Then, would you be up to it?” Angela asked her, putting the pan back after giving them both sizable portions. 

“Yeah. I would.” The gamer smiled a little. “Thanks, Angela. For everything.” 

Angela merely smiled and watched as her smaller girlfriend started to dig into the food she’d made for them. Hearing the slight hums of happiness and pleasure, Angela started to take her own bites as well. 

It was a meal shared in almost silence, accompanied by their happy noises and clinks of forks to plates. When Hana was nearly finished with her own portion, savoring the amazing flavor of the homemade dish, Angela stood and moved to the mini fridge. Hana curiously peeked up to try to see what the good doctor was getting, just to see a soft pink box that drove waves of happiness through her all at once. 

Angela hummed the birthday tune as she walked back over. Opening it and showing it off to Hana who almost squealed at the sweet dessert between them. 

Pink icing, the signature of a strawberry cake, with ‘Happy 20th Birthday Hana” written on in a more magenta shade. The cake was small, if there were a few more people it would be gone in one night, but since it was just the two of them it would take a while. Hana’s eyes were bright and almost prickling with tears when Angela put it down, and she practically tackled the Swiss woman in a hug, squeaking all kinds of happy thank yous into her chest and shoulders. Even little giggles and laughs came out. 

Angela laughed as well, hugging Hana close as she nuzzled the top of her head. “Happy Birthday, Liebe. I love you.” 

Hana paused her frivolous thanking of her girlfriend to back up for just a moment, looking up and down at her and scanning her face. It took her a few moments to really register what she just heard with her own ears. At that point, Angela could not have seen a bigger smile on someone’s face, not even her own. 

“I love you too, Angela!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few things I want to note about Brigitte is while most of the characters in this fic don't mind Hana and Angela's relationship, especially knowing about _the past_ , Brigitte is slightly pushed away by the age gap, but she knows it doesn't really matter. Another thing is Angela has been visiting her family for years, she feels like a member of the family. 
> 
> Anyhow. This chapter was actually much longer than I intended it to be, not that I think anyone is actually complaining. I enjoyed writing this one out for the adorable fluff. I hope you all enjoyed and comments and suggestions are always welcome! 
> 
> (I also wanted to note that I updated chapter 17 with different dialogue for Moira and Angela, now pertaining more to reference another ship and make the whole timeline/past clearer than it was. It doesn't change things much, but it gives Angela a darker view for a moment.)


	23. Level 23 - Phantom Limb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hana has a nightmare this time, with no help from phantom pain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Number one, I'm trying a new writing style. 
> 
> Number Two, this chapter is pretty short compared to the rest. 
> 
> Number Three, I'm trying my best to write a character which has an ailment I can't personally imagine. Please correct me on errors so I may improve this fic.

_**”D.Va! D.Va do you copy?”** _

_Hana’s eyes were open on the battlefield. Smoke, dust, and dirt filled her senses in both smell and sight. Burning was all across her body, most intensely in her arms with the ripped sleeves._

_Her vision was blurry, just for a few moments, before she came into actual focus. Her mech was on the ground, circuits cracking and whirring all around her. If the burn into her back and shoulders wasn’t enough of a clue, Hana was pushing her mech way too far._

_The voice in her ear kept sparking, chattering in Korean as she tried to regain her focus. Gripping her controls she forced the mech upright. **”D… D.Va online. Status is Critical in Mech Unit H8. Report on Units H1 through H7?”** Hana could hear her own voice, almost like a pained echo through her skull. _

_The voice through her coms cracked one more. **”Units H1, H3, H4, and H6 are all gone, D.Va. Their mechs were pulled into the ocean. Units H2, H5, and H7 are out there somewhere, but not reporting on their comm units.”** _

_**”Shit…”** Hana spun her mech around, observing the area. It was almost like a film was born in 3D, in her face and scarring her very being. The beach was littered with mechanical pieces and oil fires, some colorful from her MEKA soldiers, and some bleak and rusted from the omnic. The sky was growing dark with a fading sunset polluted with destruction in the air, the shoreline pelted with all sorts of things. Mechs, weaponry, bodies. _

_Hana felt the bile rise in her throat at the site. She could have sworn she saw a body part, an organ somewhere covered in the sand of the beach. And right in front of everything was the beast. A mechanical monstrosity, comprised of the worst parts of any omnic anyone could dream of. The devastation of a final boss in real life. The beast stood an easy 60 to 70 meters above sea level, with no telling how much of it remained below. Mechanical arms were still swooping in the sky for other units trying to fight the beast._

_Hana’s squadron had been the first, but not the last. Which resulted in most bodies lost to weaken the beast itself._

_Hana surveyed the surroundings, and with the temp quickly rising in her mech and making it quite unbearable to remain, a risky decision was made. Something Hana remembered very well making._

_“D.Va to Station. My comm unit is going to go out.” She notified, cutting the connection there. She didn’t need higher-ups telling her she was going on a suicide mission. Starting her boosters, she launched the mech into the air. She kept her fingers on the trigger, pelting the mechanical bastard with as many rounds as her mech could handle firing, all the while pushing her mech unit harder and harder. Her skin was on fire by the time the warning signs started piling up. Core overheat, overuse of systems, boosters running hot as could be, and electrical burns to leave scars for a lifetime._

_Aiming her mech precisely, putting the boosters to full blast towards the Omnic. Hana hit a button on the side of her mech that pulled away from the electrical connections, bringing some much-needed relief. The back end of the mech opened up as well, and as quickly as she could Hana flung herself out of the now smoking mech. She could have sworn she saw a light before it collided with the side of the mechanical omnic terror._

_The only problem then was Hana’s landing._

_She kept her back to the ground and face to the sky, some game-winning grin on her face as she watched the explosion. Her vision was blinded before she collided into the sand roughly. From there, some kind of unimaginable pain spiked up in the left side of her body. Hana’s screams broke out amidst the destruction, drowning out the sounds of the beasts groaning and screeching. She kicked and flailed in the sand, unable to move her left arm or shoulder. With little vision to go with Hana couldn’t even see the damage caused for a while, until the feeling altogether snapped and caused even more pain._  
.  
.  
.

The next thing Hana was truly aware of was darkness. Her scream didn’t even register in her own ears until she was bolt upright. As her voice died off she could hear and feel a ringing in her ears, the mechanical buzzing of fighting still going on in the background. Hana squeezed her eyes shut as she brought her right arm around herself, struggling to get a good grip on herself. She could feel something in her left hand. She really could, but there was nothing there. Nothing there to secure her belief. She couldn’t feel her arm against her legs or right arm, but she could feel the pain going through it. What was going on with her? 

Finally, her breathing was ragged and slow, and something was reaching to her beyond her deep breathing and buzz of fighting. It slowly dragged out and out, and Hana realized there was a pressure around her that wasn’t there before. She had remembered something like this before… Oh. 

She finally had the strength to open her eyes. She found focus in the dullness of a lamp to her left and body heat from the same direction. That heat was around her front and on her back, in soothing circles. Finally, the other noises got through the rest. 

“Hana… … ‘re alright... …’ve got you.” 

Hana gave herself another moment or two of deep breaths before she looked, her vision clear, and saw several locks of blonde hair over her. “A… Angela…?” Her voice was hoarse from her screaming. She noticed blue eyes picked up, and it helped her get a little more connected. 

“I’m right here, Hana.” Angela’s voice was loud and clear now. Any buzzing Hana still heard was like hearing a refrigerator in the background. “I’m here. Are you alright?” 

Hana took a second before she responded, pulling away just enough to look at her hands. She still felt the same stinging pain as when she woke up in her left side, her arm in particular. Hana finally realized that she didn’t have her arm there. Instead, she was looking at the port to her prosthetic that set on the bedside table. The longer she sat there, the clearer it became. She finally moved to grab her port with her real hand, making sure that it was, in fact, not there. “N… nightmare,” Hana mumbled under her breath. 

There was a low moment of silence. “Are you having pain?” Angela asked on the side, her hand over Hana’s to cease its movement. 

Hana looked back up at her and gave a slight, gentle nod. “L… Lots. What… What do I do?” 

Hana couldn’t quite remember, besides when she lost her arm, that she felt so helpless and weak, scared and small, all at the same time once more. The images of war had flashed through her mind like a gag reel of a movie, yet still just as real and vivid as when it happened over two years ago. No moment had she felt this low. 

“Get your arm, Hana. Let’s see if putting it back on will help. If not, I have medication in my table.” Angela assured. 

“No meds,” Hana mumbled stubbornly, reaching over with her real hand. She got a grip of it by the wrist and pulled it over for Angela to see it. She herself closed her eyes while Angela worked, clicking all the hooks back into place and letting her body adjust to it. Hana opened her eyes once she could feel Angela having completed her task, and she looked at her arm. 

Slowly, but not slow enough, the pain started to dissipate back into nothing. Hana flexed her hand and turned her wrist, getting the connection back and strong again. From there, Hana felt something prick in her eyes. No, not just something. Tears threatened to fall, enough that even Angela’s sleepy eyes could see. Before Hana could really be bothered to move her hands, Angela was already wiping her tears with her thumbs, placing a kiss on the top of Hana’s head afterward. “Liebe.... Does this happen often?” 

Hana hesitated her answer for a moment, looking between her hands and Angela’s face. The guilt slowly built up in her until she nodded. “More and more frequently.” Her voice was still quite low, soft, and with plenty of shy regrets. 

A few seconds passed before Angela pulled Hana back into a tight hug, hands rubbing up and down her sides to help soothe her. “Why haven’t you told me?” Angela asked gently. 

“I…” Hana swallowed. “I didn’t want to… to seem silly. It… shouldn’t hurt after its gone… I didn’t want to worry you…” 

“Now, Hana” Angela gave her a gentle squeeze. “Phantom Limb pain is not a silly little thing. It’s real. Coupled with your PTSD and night terrors… I’m surprised you didn’t confide sooner.” She said. 

Hana pulled her body a little away from Angela, just enough to adjust so she was back-to-chest. She settled in her spot a little further before sighing. “I know. I just. I’m already so much younger. I didn’t… I don't know.” Her breathing picked back up in pace a little, she could feel the pressure build in frustration as she struggled to get her words across. “I feel like… I’d hurt you if I confessed? I don't know.” 

There was a steady hand on top of her head, scratching little circles in her scalp as she felt a consistent rhythm through Angela’s chest against her back. The silent method was something Hana was confused by at first before she slowly got the memo. She sunk deeper into Angela’s grasp, slowly trying to match her breathing to Angela’s. They exchanged no other words as they sat there in peaceful silence, keeping Hana mostly calm through the aftershocks of her episode. As those minutes passed by Hana found herself almost comfortably dozing off again when there was a bit of a tight hugging grip on her midsection from Angela’s other hand. 

“Hana… Do you remember what you promised me at the start of the year?” Angela asked. 

Hana bit her lip to hold back the immediate blurt. “That... I’d tell you whenever something was wrong.” She responded. 

“Yes,” Angela replied, offering a few more soothing scratches to Hana’s head after that. “There’s nothing to do about it now but… If we aren’t sleeping together, tell me next time you have phantom pains, alright? There are ways to deal with it. I know you don’t like seeing help from others, but please promise me you’ll talk to Genji or Jesse tomorrow. I am more than confident they have experienced similar, if not the same, aliment.” 

Hana nodded, opting for a more manual response. Slowly she shimmied her way back fully under the covers, muggy to the touch after her cold sweat and fretting under the covers. What did feel a little nicer, however, was lounging with her prosthetic on. She felt more complete this way, less broken for whatever reason. Eventually, Angela turned the light out and looped her arm under Hana’s and wrapped it around her midsection. It was a happy little hold that managed to subside many of Hana’s worries for the moment. 

For a few minutes, Hana laid awake, watching the clock in its soft red glow on the other nightstand. The minutes ticked by in silence, with Angela’s breathing as the only noise in the room. 

_03:12. 03:13. 03:14. 03:15._

Eventually, Hana shifted a little, tilting her head up just enough to see a faint sliver of blonde hair. “Angie…?” 

“Hm..?” The noise was groggy but awake. 

“Do your… nightmares ever end up… different than how it actually plays out?” Hana asked, curling up a little. “... Change based on what’s going on around you?” 

There was a few moments of silence before Angela took a big sigh and squeezed Hana. “Yes. Sometimes I dream my nightmares in the state they occurred… sometimes as I am now. Sometimes it’s my parents who died. Other times it’s the family I’ve made here.” Angela snuggled her face deeper into Hana’s shoulder blades. “It’s always difficult because they feel so real.” 

“... Something crushed my arm in my dream.” Hana admitted after a moment, and she absentmindedly flexed her prosthetic palm. “... It. Hurt. A lot. I don't… I don't remember what it was. I was blinded by an explosion I made…” 

Angela gave a curt nod to her lover’s back. “It can happen sometimes. Phantom pain present in nightmares… with our conditions it isn’t unlikely that our subconscious would like to create less than optimal visions and feelings of pain” She explained. 

Hana nodded again, although unsure if Angela could feel the motion. “... I dream sometimes… my parents have died in the fight with the omnic monster…” Hana mumbled. “... Sometimes… sometimes I dream that you died then too.” she confessed, pulling Angela’s arm closer.

Angela responded with a squeeze. “True heroes never die, Hana. I’m not going anywhere anytime soon, and neither are you… Mm.” 

Recognizing the sign of a tired doctor, Hana decided it was enough of a discussion for one night. “Good night again, Angela…” Hana mumbled, letting her eyes finally shut once more. 

_“Süße Träume, mein kleiner Hase.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angela is saying, at the end, _Sweet Dreams, my little Bunny_ in case it wasn't quite that clear. I'm dependant on her German (NOT Swiss German) voice lines in game for the accuracy. 
> 
> I tried making as accurate of depictions as possible, or at least how I think someone like Hana would handle them. We know she has image problems with being seen as something she is not. Sooner or later like in the case with Chapter 7, there will be a full-blown fic on Hana's mission with the onmic that took most of her squad. 
> 
> Let me know how you guys like this new little writing style and maybe we'll keep it up or fix it back to how it was. I'm kinda liking it. Comments and Suggestions are always welcome!


	24. Level 24 - Sweet Sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hana discusses problems with her prosthetic limbs, and actually utilizes the solutions given to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is the longest time this fic has gone without an update, the last time was between chapter 9 and 10. I got my grades on track, I finished my finals and projects, and I finally graduated from that hellspace that is high school. The past few weeks I've been de-stressing and catching up on my sanity, as well as realizing that I was stuck in a writer's block. Thanks to my lovely girlfriend finally kicking my butt back in gear, I finished this chapter that was sitting since the end of April. 
> 
> Apologies for the long wait, here's the chappy.

Despite the night of her birthday being a relative mess, Hana was quite chipper in the days after. Waking up with a beautiful woman on her other side made things relatively nicer, despite the nightmares that frequently came with her from sleeping alone. This morning was not an exception, though it was missing Angela. 

Hana herself was already walking to the mess hall, hair a little messier than usual thanks to her own comfort level. She gave small nods to other soldiers who passed by in the hallway, putting on a bright smile even with her arm out. Even with her good mood, Hana still found herself putting up some sort of star-crossed face to sell the peace with her arm, even if her confidence in displaying it was lackluster. 

As she passed the hall, the conversation from the night of her birthday seemed to bother her, how Angela suggested she talk to someone, anyone about her current predicament. Phantom pain was common, and probably still happened to most of the personnel who also was in the same boat as her. Her thoughts kept her distracted until she opened the mess hall doors and slammed into a smell that could only be described by Hana as distinctly dirt and smoke. 

“Sorry there, darlin'” Jesse’s voice reached her ears as she backed up and got reconnected with her surroundings. He was the only one who didn’t really abide by the dress code of other soldiers, sticking to his chaps and hat. He also frequented smoking outside, Hana was mostly glad he didn’t bring Angela outside with him. 

She blinked a few times before standing more upright, rubbing the back of her neck with a bit of an apprehensive gaze. “Hey, Jesse. Sorry about that… I wasn’t paying attention.” 

“Lost in thought huh?” He smiled at her. “Happens to the best of us. Wanna tell me what’s on your mind?” 

Hana’s gaze fell on Jesse’s engraved prosthetic for a moment, her mind alight with the possibilities. Her conversation once again popped up in her mind, and she decided to lean against the wall for a bit of support. “Promise not to tell anyone else?” She requested. 

His demeanor was a lot more relaxed than Hana’s. He grinned, tipping his hat before he answered. “Sure. Wanna move somewhere unwanted ears ain’t gonna hear?” Jesse suggested. 

Hana nodded, and she herself quietly lead the way from the mess hall, despite her stomach practically begging her for some kind of substance. She made a few turns before they both ended up in a sort of meeting room that mission briefings would take place in. Non-emergent missions, Hana had half the mind to remind herself as she stepped in. Jesse followed, then pulled out a chair and sat in it, leaning against the backrest similarly to how Hana positioned herself in Angela’s office. It was a little more comforting knowing Jesse wasn’t taking it as professionally as anyone else would have. 

She took her seat in a similar fashion, almost hiding her face. She let her eyes glance up before sighing. “I… I’m having phantom pains. Usually at night while I’m trying to sleep. They… tend to couple in with my nightmares and Angela told me to talk to you or Genji because you two could probably help me.” Hana explained, her voice getting a bit quicker with each word. 

It was obvious Jesse tried to follow, and after a moment or two of processing he took his hat off and placed it on the table. Hana looked at him with a bit of an intrigued glance as he cleared his throat. “Hana.” He started. “The phantom pain, it doesn’t ever really go away. At least they haven’t yet for me. But there's somethin’ I do when I can’t bear the pain anymore and I found it out travelin' on my own, without a doctor’s help.” He explained. He put his hand up to view and showed her his palm. Hana looked a little closer, while Jesse reached into his back pocket. She noticed that there was a slit in the palm of his hand. Barely noticeable from a distance, but easy to see when close up. Hana waited patiently as McCree pulled out a small pocket knife, then slowly pushed the knife blade through the slit. 

Hana winced a little, even if it was fake. She didn’t get the point of it yet, and Jesse could tell she was discomforted. He left the knife in his mechanical hand, keeping the palm open to get the point across. “When I feel the pain, I stab the hand. Even if it’s apart of you now, it’s basically tellin’ your brain that there’s nothin’ there to be hurtin'.” Jesse explained. 

She looked on for another moment more before looking up at Jesse with a bit of a confused look. “This actually works?” She asked

“You have to look at it while ya do it,” Jesse added. “But, yes. It helps me and I get a more peaceful night’s sleep cause of it. You should give it a try sometime, Hana.” Jesse told her, giving a sincere pat to her shoulder. He stood up and tipped his hat once more, having the kind of soft grin wise old men would usually hold. “If you’re still havin’ trouble with that arm, I’d talk to Genji and his friend. They seem to have a pretty good spiritual grip on things, y’know?” 

Hana nodded, vaguely flexing her hand absentmindedly. “I’d probably talk to Zen. He’s easy to conversate with.” She responded. 

His smile got a little wider then. “Good. If there’s anything I’d give this place credit for, it’s the ability to keep its members close-knit. If it didn’t, a lot of these old folks wouldn’t be back.” He suddenly appeared quite guilty for a moment. “Er, Don't tell Angela I pretty much called her old. She wouldn’t like it much even if she doesn’t look it.” 

A little laugh gave the situation its lightheartedness back, Hana smiling back up at Jesse with a quite gleeful fondness. “Don’t worry. We avoid the age thing like the plague. Doesn’t do either of us any good to worry about how old or young we are.” 

“Got it” Jesse responded, nodding in assurance. “Well, Happy trails pumpkin. I’ve got a date with a shootin’ range. I’ve got plenty more in my room so, take this” He handed hana the old pocket knife, folding it up in her hand neat like. He then tipped his hat and left the room, leaving Hana alone with her thoughts and the knife in hand, resting in her prosthetic hand. 

She gave it a few good flexes, staring at the almost artistic handle of the knife. A smile graced her lips at its appearance, with flowers carved into the wood. The sight made her chuckle before she pocketed it, and stood her own self. Whatever course of action, she was sure she’d feel better with some solution to her problem without disturbing Angela, or adding a medication to her list of things wrong. Confidence on her side with how the conversation itself went, Hana strode back to the mess hall with some quiet form of pride. 

\--- --- ---

This time, when the pain started surging through Hana’s arm and palm driving her to wake up, she managed not to let out a scream in terror. Instead, it was more like a whining squeak of pain, tears leaking out of her eyes as she brought herself out of the hazy daze of a nightmare and back to what she could identify of reality. She had gone over her plan for when she woke up, several times before she actually fell asleep. With a little caution, as she was quite shaken, Hana reached her hand over to the nightstand, padding it for any sort of way she could find the object gifted to her earlier in the day. At last, her hands touched cool metal and wood, letting her know that she found her target. 

She didn’t need the light to know there was a latch that undid the knife from its concealment. If Angela wasn’t already stirring due to the movement along the bed, the noisy apparatus of the pocket knife seemed to alert her senses quickly, from What Hana could feel on the other side of the bed. She raised her left hand, carefully out of the way of the rest of her body. As she looked at it, her vision would blur in and out, as if she wasn’t really aware or awake at the moment. The pain itself still seemed rather real and was starting to make Hana rather dizzy just thinking about it. Shutting her eyes, Hana tried to hold onto her nerves, calming her shaking. The pain persisted in her hand. _”the hand that isn’t even there, Hana!”_ she tried reminding herself. Finally, she started to get a better grip on the situation, and the knife in her hand. 

One deep breath. 

Two. 

“Hana, what in the world-” 

“Three!” 

Metal scraped against metal, Hana watched as the knife plunged into the palm of her other hand. Slowly, just as Jesse had claimed, the pain started to go away, disappearing into merely tingles at the base of her arm. 

Breathless, Hana let out a few giggles as Angela finally turned on the light, looking with unclear vision at the sight before her. “Hana…? Did you just… stab your prosthetic?” She inquired, rubbing one of her eyes to rid it of her foggy vision. 

“Yeah… I, I did.” hana responded coolly. She could feel her heartbeat slowing down in her chest as she not only came down from the high of her nightmare but the rush of the pain that traveled through a non-existent limb. She smiled, despite her prosthetic not reacting completely to the twitch and flex she tried to put it through. Hana pulled out the pocket knife with relatively no consequences, looking at her hand front and back. 

Angela grabbed it next, bringing Hana’s hand closer to herself to inspect the damage. “Why in the hell would you do that?” Angela asked, looking between her and the hand. “It could have damaged something, you know!” 

“You told me to talk to Jesse or someone. I did” Hana responded calmly, flexing the limb for her just to let them both know it was fine. “Jesse told me if i felt pain, that I should try inflicting injury. It would tell my brain, even if i stabbed myself, there’s nothing there to make the pain so it would make it go away.” 

Angela seemed to scowl at the idea, but with a little observation of the arm’s movement, she sighed and let Hana have it back. “You didn’t seem to damage anything important… for now.” She leaned back against her pillows for a small moment, eventually sinking down and turning so she was facing Hana. “You scared me, Liebe. I thought someone had broken in and… and well, was going to hurt us. Or worse.” 

“It’s fine,” Hana assured, putting the knife back where it was on the nightstand. “I’m fine. I promise. I won't scare you like that again.” She smiled, giving Angela’s hair a quick run-through. A smile was plastered on her face, despite the uncertainty and fear of Angela’s. She curled up further, despite her already cramped position. She looked up at Hana with worrisome eyes, something clearly off. 

“I just. Don’t want you hurt because of me anymore.” She mumbled. 

“Angie. Angela.” Hana murmured, sinking down to Angela’s level of the bed almost at once. She took one of Angela’s hands that were clenched to her chest and tried to give it a simple, sympathetic squeeze. “Remember what I said?” 

“Your decisions are your own,” Angela muttered. “You’re hurt because you did what you wanted to do.” 

“Right” Hana smiled. She wiggled herself over in the bed, despite the slight difficulty. She pressed a soft kiss to Angela’s forehead, nuzzling it shortly after and then turning over in the bed.”I love you, Angela. I promise I won’t scare you like that again. I’ll wake you up next time.” 

Angela seemed to be mildly unimpressed, but her scoffs gave way to tired sighs that just let her snuggle into Hana deeper for the moment. “You could have hurt yourself, you know,” she muttered into Hana’s shoulder blades, nuzzling her nose in between them for a small moment. “Is the pain gone?” 

Hana giggled but otherwise was generally relaxed. “Yeah, It’s gone. And no, the nightmare wasn’t as bad as the other night. I’m okay, I promise.” 

“Good.” was all Angela had to say in response to it. An extra squeeze from her arm was another soft assurance as well. Hana merely relaxed into the grip, knowing Angela was simply just protective of what happened to them both. She couldn’t help but wonder, really, if there was something else bothering the doctor, based on the security breach she thought they had. Regardless, Hana was just a little bit too tired to ask a grumpy, exhausted Angela twenty questions. Instead, she shut her eyes, not paying too much attention to her surroundings. Instead, she just curled back up, nuzzling against the arms that held her every now and then. It would be a topic for tomorrow morning. 

\--- --- ---

“I’m honestly amazed you didn’t sever any wires,” Angela mumbled as she looked inside the plating of the prosthetic, its small connections and the like that would be located inside the hand. She was now putting it back together with a very bemused Hana sitting at her desk.

“I did my homework before carelessly stabbing my hand with a pocket knife” Hana responded, leaning against the chair in the cockiest fashion possible, a grin spread across her face like the true winner she was. 

“Yes, well. Don’t get too excited.” Angela responded. “You got lucky this time. If you want a model with a slot almost like Jesse’s, you’ll have to wait for it. Please don’t go wrecking people’s hard work until then, Hana. this is a commodity at the moment, please treat it with respect.” She finished with the last screw in place before getting up to help Hana put it back on. 

She shrugged slightly in response, quickly nodding as a second confirmation. “I know. I appreciate all you, Torbjorn, and Brigitte did to make this arm for me.” She said. “I really wanted to try to make something work without more work for you.” 

Something like that seemed to have a waiver on Angela, even as she clicked the prosthetic back into proper place. She sighed deeply before picking up Hana’s hand and giving it a kiss on the front and the back. “They’re still going to need to weld the plates, but, if it helped you this time, I’m sure they’ll see reason to it,” Angela explained softly. 

Hana nodded, taking her hand back and standing up properly. Despite the warmth flushing her face in the current moment, Hana had a rather proud expression. “Thank you for understanding now, Angie.” 

She nodded just once. “Next time, however, I’m not suggesting McCree for your advice. He isn’t exactly the best example of a clinically aligned person.” Angela said, a slightly smug smile spreading across her face with the knowledge that it would spark debate. 

“Hey! Neither are you.” 

“I still have a doctorate.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kinda sweet but not really, still something that I'm kind of proud of in this chapter itself. Sorry for how short this chapter is, seeing as the end of the story is near. It'll get a little longer for the next chapter, I'm almost positive. Comments and suggestions are always welcome from you guys, thank you for waiting.


	25. Level 25 - An Angel's Kiss (End Game)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hana prepares something somewhat special for Angela's birthday, even if she didn't really want to celebrate to begin with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I hope you guys don't mind, this is the second-to-last chapter of Valkyrie's Game. I apologize in advance in its quality, I got a good burst of writing inspiration at its start, a deadzone in the middle, and not a lot of an Idea how exactly to write in mind. This is probably a mess. I hope you guys can forgive me, and if it seems that bad, please let me know. Anyways... enjoy!

As the weeks past, Hana grew more and more accustomed to the new limb she was supporting, subsequently strengthening the relationship she had with Angela. It was nice until something dawned on Hana that felt more like a brick on the foot than a friendly reminder. 

“Angie… It's your birthday today?” 

Angela’s desk was covered with cards from numerous well-established members, the personality of the cards helped explain who the cards were from. Something absolutely silly from Lena, something medical pun related from the medical staff, and something peaceful that, didn’t really look like a birthday card from Zenyatta and Genji. Even one in pure German from Reinhardt. 

Angela was picking up all the cards, set up to be like a display and turned to Hana. She had the kind of tired smile that someone not really desiring attention would have. “I keep telling them they don't have to, I had to in the past as well. They never listen.” Angela responded. She picked Lena’s up last, smiling at the extra glitter she had thrown on it to seem more festive. “Although… it’s quite endearing.” 

Hana gave a bit of a frown, turning and picking up her chair from its usual spot to sit backward. “Why didn’t you tell me your birthday was coming up?” She asked. 

“I didn’t want anyone to fret over my birthday. I’m just getting older.” Angela responded, opening a drawer and putting the cards in for later. She sat down at her desk and promptly turned on the computer, turning her gaze back to Hana to give it time to boot. “I don't exactly… Like the fawning over.” 

Her frown went down even lower. “But you surprised me for my birthday. You even kinda went out of your way to make dinner for me. You don’t expect the same?” 

Silence followed Hana’s question. Angela avoided eye contact and sipped down some of her coffee to pass the time. She set the cup down and cleared her throat a little bit. “I don't. Not because I don't think you would have considered it, of course. I personally believe you don't need to. It’s alright to not celebrate every birthday.” She explained. 

Hana huffed, watching as Angela sat down and got to work on whatever project she had going. It was a little hush-hush, but there was more blood work being returned to the office than usual. Hana eventually rolled her eyes and stood up, nudging the chair back to where it was “I’m gonna go out and start the training regimen Soldier Seventy-Ass has set up for some of us. For some reason, I’m still taking orders from him…” The last half was more of an angry grumble, to which Hana witnessed Angela arching a curious eyebrow up at her. 

“Calling people names isn’t going to help your situation, Liebe. Maybe you should just keep your head down and follow directions. Jack is overly aggressive and always has been.” 

“I outrank him in every sense, I’m pretty sure. Winston’s the Strike Commander, I don't get why I have to listen to him. I’d tell him to give me twenty if i felt like getting a referral from Captain Amari or Winston myself.” Hana huffed. With her face obscured from Angela’s view, she got a bright grin on her face. _”That’ll do enough to get her off the topic… I’d hope.”_

 

As she made her way out the office, Angela looked up from her screen. “Hana? Try not to do anything silly. It’s just a regular day.” She said. 

Hana turned and gave a faintly guilty grin. “Don't worry, I’ll be fine. I haven’t hurt anyone so far.” She smiled. 

Angela gave her a curt nod before she started typing away at some document she opened on her computer, almost completely shut out of the outside world. Hana closed her office door, proceeding to make her way out of the med bay. As she made her way back to her room to change her clothes, a few different random ideas popped to mind, all encouraging her to ditch her responsibilities for the day. 

\--- --- --- 

Back in the town near the base, Hana was walking aimlessly between shops. The exact inspiration to strike her fancy hadn’t popped up yet, be it she wanted a simple gift or to make Angela something for dinner. But something that did make it clear and through her mind was the idea to play through the arcade. Even if she didn’t get Angela a big heartfelt gift from somewhere, as these shops were pretty damn limited, she could at least try to win her a prize from the small arcade, as well as shred whatever high scores she could get her hands on. Regardless, the end game here was to think about Angela, that’s what Hana kept reminding herself of. 

When she reached the end of the street without much of anything to get her, Hana made her detour into the small arcade. It was brightly lit, even for having older games. The prize counter wasn’t really all that big either, but enough with substantial prices. Hana knew how these places worked, and first thing before anything she walked to the counter, examining the prizes that could be won as she waited for a clerk to notice her. Most of them looked pretty bland, even the stuffed animals on the wall that would usually amuse Hana, wouldn’t do good for Angela. It wasn’t until she looked a little lower did she see something that piqued her interest, even if it was completely silly. 

“Hey! Can I help you?” 

Hana looked up from the prize as soon as the attendant came over, a friendly smile on his face. Judging by the basic expression, Hana was getting really good at her “Clark Kent” look. “How many tickets is that necklace set?” Hana asked out of curiosity, pointing right to a pair of pixelated hearts on chains. One had “Player 1” on it, while the other had “Player 2”. Something that seemed to be the most cliche thing to exist, yet something that she still wanted to have.

“It’s a thousand tickets. Think you can get that many before you need to leave?” There was something of a cocky tease in the attendant's voice. A challenge. 

“You don't think I can do it, huh?” Hana quirked an eyebrow up, a small smile on her face. “Not without a lot of money?” 

“I’d like to see how little it takes to get you to a thousand tickets.” He responded. 

Hana gave a curt nod, pulling out her wallet. “Five euros.” 

“Only five?” He asked her. 

“Only five.” She repeated, handing him the bills needed. 

He raised an eyebrow at her this time, more of confusion rather than anything else. He took her money and proceeded to make the exchange at his kiosk, eventually handing Hana a plastic card for credits. “Good luck then.” 

“Never needed it, to begin with.” Hana grinned, a little bit maliciously as she took the card. Stuffing her hands into her pockets, Hana moved into the rest of the arcade with an open mind, eyes scanning where she could find an easy target to easily get her tickets… In reality, it wasn’t all that hard. 

After all, there were more than enough casual old school games that were based on skill, just like the machines Hana could pick off of back home. If only she could have taken a picture of the clerk’s face when she returned with _over_ a thousand tickets on five euros. 

\--- --- --- 

With luck by Hana’s side, she had not only managed to any unnecessary phone calls during her outing on the day. Not only had she managed to slip through the base without getting stopped by other Agents, she had miraculously avoided Angela and was able to complete most of her plans before near 20:00. As of late, Angela always managed to make it a point to arrive back in her room on that dot, if a certain research topic had caught her interest. Hana baited on Angela’s ability to be quite on point, and by the time the door to Angela’s living space was opening she was hiding away in the kitchen after lighting several soft colored candles littered around the room. She pretended to casually not notice as she kept preparing the small meal she had. Looking at the door out of the corner of her eye, she had to hide her smile as Angela’s audible steps were clearly approaching quite slowly. 

“Hana… What, did you do?” Came after a distant pause, followed by the sound of her coat on the couch. 

Hana finally turned around, smiling with a pair of tongs in her left hand, her right holding the pan. “Just a little surprise. Ya know, nothing big.” 

Angela’s expression went from one of some mild shock to a little annoyance. It took a good few seconds for her to breathe out and deliver a small, pleased smile to Hana. “You really don't like taking orders, do you?” 

“Hmm, No,” Hana responded, walking over. She put the tongs on the island counter and pulled Angela in for a hug, squeezing her tightly. “I just wanted you to feel as loved as I did when you made dinner for me that night, Angie.” 

That soft smile became even more embedded into Angela’s face, and her embrace was returned to Hana giving her a tight squeeze. “You just need to exist to let me feel that amount of affection, Hana… Thank you.” She said. She gave Hana a kiss on the top of her head as well, rubbing her back softly and offering slight hums. 

Hana nuzzled against Angela’s chest, pleased hums melting around them both. “I’m glad… Take a seat, okay? It’s almost done I promise.” 

“I’ll humor you,” Angela responded, finally letting go of Hana. She moved over to one of the seats at the island, perching her chin on folded hands as she started watching Hana move around the kitchen. 

Hana moved fluidly around the small kitchenette as if she was a natural in the kitchen. If she remembered correctly, this was the first time making dinner for anyone besides herself, stolen away at the first few weeks on base. Hana realized that after making better friends with Angela that she hadn’t visited cooking nearly as often. Another slight chuckle graced her as she pulled bowls from where Angela had a few stored. 

After a bit of setting up and maneuvering, a bowl was placed in front of here Angela was sitting at the table. In it was a beautifully piled compilation of rice, meat, and vegetables. “It's your typical takeout box, kinda,” Hana mentioned, pushing the bowl a little closer to Angela. “Its just made with as many Korean-centric items rather than what you’d find in Japan or China. For example, there's some kimchi here, and Korean fried chicken here. It's not the best but it's what I could manage without a proper market to go to.” Hana explained, looking up to Angela’s face for any sign of displeasure. 

Instead, Angela was just smiling, some kind of happy gleam in her eyes. “Thank you, Hana. Any home cooked meal is better than what the base can supply.” She said. She reached out, grabbing one of Hana’s hands and kissing it lightly. “Thank you again, Liebe. It means a lot to me.” 

“No problem, Angie.” Hana smiled, her grin almost stretching from ear to ear. “Anything to see you happy, you know. You also always deserve recognition for how awesome you are.” From there, Hana pushed up her own bowl, sliding to the other side of the island and sitting next to Angela. She handed over normal utensils for Angela to use, grinning even to show she wasn't in the least disrespected. 

Their meal was taken in silence. As they ate, they both took in the surroundings around them. There were candles lit everywhere as the lights were turned down to present a soft, romantic mood throughout the living space. Hana herself figured it was a pretty out-done job, delivered the message of love and affection pretty well. IT was a soft silence that was more than appreciated for the both of them. 

Once Hana’s bowl was empty, small pieces of rice stuck to the edges of the bowl, she stood up from her seat. She could feel Angela’s curious gaze on her back as she moved around back to the bedroom, entering it for a moment before walking back out. A box of chocolates was in her hands, as well as another, smaller box, on top of it. Seeing the bright shine in Angela’s eyes once the chocolates were brought out, Hana figured that Angela could almost never tire of her favorite Swiss chocolates. She placed them down in front of Angela, sliding them over with that same soft smile she had reserved all night. 

“Hana, really.” Angela started, pulling the boxes closer to her. “You… seem to outdo yourself, you know that?” 

“I don't know how a box of chocolates and a smaller box top a personal mug” Hana grinned widely. 

“Stop it,” Angela responded, giving a slight fake out of a frown before she picked up the smaller box on top of the chocolates. “What’s this, Liebe?” She asked, twirling it around in her hand. 

Hana slid a little closer then. “Why… don't you open it?” She cooly suggested, that same little smile still on her face. 

Angela gave her a quiet side eye before returning to the small leathery box in her hands. Without much of a second thought, she flipped the lid open. Inside was half a heart piece to a necklace, pixelated and spelling out “Player 2” on its face. Angela picked up the necklace from the box, clearly not meant for it, examining the charm and its face. “Hana… This looks like it has another half.” Angela said, turning her head towards Hana. 

She smiled, leaning back a little bit to give Angela some room. She looked at the charm at first too, then pulled her gaze up to Angela. “Yeah, I know.” Hana reached into her shirt, pulling out a similar chain with the other half of the charm. “I thought it would be a cute reveal to put on the other half.” 

Angela giggled a little, smiling at Hana with bright eyes. She put the charm down and instead wrapped her arms around her. “Thank you, Liebe…” 

“You’re welcome.” hana responded, pulling her arms around Angela as well, her cheeky grin only growing larger. “Happy birthday, Angie.” 

She hummed her response, standing and pulling Hana closer. She didn’t say much else, looking down into Hana’s eyes and face as a whole. Hana felt warm and giddy, looking up at Angela as she was. The smile on her face couldn’t be wiped away as she went in for an even deeper embrace. It was only at that moment that she realized Angela had slightly different plans for their close proximity. A hand to the chin, Hana felt her head being tilted up just a little more than it was before. That warmth in her chest spread rapidly as her heart went faster, only mere seconds told her what was going to happen. 

When Angela’s lips touched her own, it was unlike anything Hana had ever felt before. As if this was her first kiss. 

She shut her eyes before she noticed Angela did, pushing a little back into the kiss. The pressure against her own lips was soft and warm, even a tad bit more plush than expected. Hana pulled Angela closer by her neck, trying to do anything to ring that wonderful warmth ever closer to her. She let out a soft hum after a few seconds too, absolutely melting into the form of Angela. The kiss was soft and deep, lasting quite a little while before Hana was the one to pull away, coming away with a big gasp of breath and red-hot cheeks. 

The first thing she did upon opening her eyes was checking on Angela, fluttering her eyelids to try and refocus her vision. Angela too was taking a moment to readjust from after their small, first little kiss. Something that was so small it almost didn’t seem like much at all. Angela was just as dreamy looking, flushed, and smiling like a fool. She was the first to break up, to slightly giggle. She tilted her head down, pressing her forehead to Hana’s in yet another intimate gesture. “I love you, Hana.” 

Hana beamed under the attention, quickly closing her eyes once again to nuzzle against Angela. “I love you too, Angie… “ She murmured, her voice a little above a whisper as she tilted her head just enough for yet another kiss. 

Longer. Deeper, even a little warmer. This kiss brought about an even closer press of their bodies and Hana’s body whining for air sooner than it should have. That slight warmth was growing into something more, something that Hana knew very well was not ready to see the light of day between the two of them. It seemed Angela was in a similar position, as she pulled away first, returning them to their previous hold and letting out a small series of noises that turned into giggles. 

Hana too started giggling, only increasing the interaction until the two of them fell into fits of laughter together. The soft moment dissipated into Hana gleefully nuzzling against Angela’s chest, tight arms in turtleneck sleeves keeping her close and secure. “You know, Angie…” Hana murmured, starting to slowly rock the two of them just to provide idle movement. “You… you’re really something special. I wish more people got to see you for who you are… more than a doctor.” 

Angela responded with a soft hum, bringing a hand up behind Hana’s head to support it just a little bit more. “Books are very nice to read rather than just take the cover for face value. It’s good to get to know someone. I could say the same for you, Hana.” She responded, running her hand through Hana’s hair. “I’m probably the person you've confided to most in your life, more than your parents. That’s a lot of trust to put in one person. But I’m glad I learned about you beforehand to earn that trust.” 

She nodded, nuzzling against Angela still. “We can do a lot together, Angie…” Hana murmured. “We can survive this war that is to come.” 

“You think there will be one?” Angela questioned. 

“Maybe not. But it’s better to think that we’ll survive with you.” Hana smiled. 

Another hum from Angela, followed by a tighter squeeze. “Let’s stick to worrying about each other. We got plenty of it between your arm and my job.” 

“Deal” Hana responded, pulling away finally. She looked back up at Angela’s face, both of them sharing heavy smiles that seemed to be filled with way too many pleasantries. Hana broke the blissful contact first, turning away to change the hold. “Just us for now. We’ll be unstoppable.” 

“We’ll see. I have faith, but we’ll see” Angela responded. She pressed another kiss to Hana’s forehead, finally letting her go. “Do you want help with the cleaning?” She asked. 

“Not at all. Eat your chocolates, relax a little.” Hana answered, picking up both bowls after she was turned loose. She turned and gave Angela a slight wink before she moved to the sink. As she worked, she heard Angela rummage with the boxes and make her way to the couch, actually taking advice as the dishes were cleaned. 

Something told Hana that this was just the beginning of something absolutely stunning, amazing, even a little confusing.

_“It’s no longer just my game, is it Angela?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just one more, small, chapter left to go for this fic. Then, it's on to a future with the two of them. I hope you guys are ready! 
> 
> Comments and Suggestions are, as always, completely welcome.


	26. Bonus! Level 26 - The Valkyrie's Gamer - Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short scene of Angela and Hana relaxing together a year after they met.

Near the end of October, a year after they had met, Hana and Angela were cuddled up together on Angela’s couch, lounging comfortably as classic Halloween movies were playing on the TV. Overwatch was relaxing on hours as more members had joined, allowing few nights for the two of them to lay together to cuddle up. In particular, Hana had a mission for her to attend the next day, making their time together even more precious to one another. 

After the credits began to roll for the current movie, Hana tilted her head up in her grasp of Angela, smiling at the askew view she had. “Hey, Angie?” She asked, giving her a slight squeeze where her arms were. 

“Hm?” Angela didn’t quite look down, instead picking up the remote. “What is it, Liebling?” 

Hana gave her a slight nuzzle, turning to also observe the guide before them. “I was just wondering… you’re happy back here, right?” 

“That’s a mildly obscure question.” Angela closed the guide and turned her attention to Hana. “What makes you ask?” 

“Well.” Hana adjusted, lifting herself up just enough to catch Angela’s eyes. “Overwatch.. .it’s a Military organization. You don't like violence… and you just so happen to fall in love with a war hero who doesn’t mind taking a gun out for her country… Really, i just want to know if you’re happy here.” Hana moved as she spoke, adjusting herself to sit in Angela’s lap rather than laying on her. 

Angela adjusted too, sitting up a little to give it some kind of thought. A soft hum and she was looking into Hana’s general direction. “We aren't as militaristic as we used to be… besides, you’re trying to do what’s best and, that's what anyone can ask of you.” She responded, reaching a hand out to smooth out some hair. “And really, just as long as I’m with you, right now I don't think that anything could, reasonably, go wrong… what about you, Hana? Are you happy?” 

Hana readjusted herself, leaning against the back of the couch just a bit. “I’m doing what I think is right for my people. I’m doing it too for the friends I’ve made and for you, even if I got hurt on the way.” Hana flexed her left palm in front of them, just to emphasize her point. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Hana smiled brightly. 

Angela brought her hand back to continue running through Hana’s hair, her smile growing soft as she did. “Well, you’re the best guardian for this Angel. I hope you’re aware of that, Liebe.” 

“You’re the best Valkyrie for this soldier” Hana responded in kind. She adjusted herself, laying back down against Angela’s chest. She nuzzled up to her, finding her warm and comfy spot she had beforehand. “... You know, your Halloween movies are really dorky.” 

Angela couldn't help but laugh at the statement, even if just a little. “Yes, well… they’re good for amusement, aren't they? It gets me into the spirit” Angela responded.

“Yeah, I guess” Hana grinned. 

She felt her chin being grabbed yet again, and so she willingly tilted her head up to look at Angela once more. Soft smiles turned into cusped lips, Angela pulling Hana in for a close and sweet kiss. One of many shared since September, but all just as fulfilling as the last. 

Hana parted if only to deliver two smaller pecks to Angela’s lips before settling back down for the next movie choice, something involving a nightmare and Christmas. Why they were watching something involving Christmas, Hana wasn’t entirely sure. Angela seemed quite delighted by it, however, which was also good enough for Hana. 

Regardless of what they were watching, just about any situation with the two of them together was good enough for them both. That’s how a relationship should work after all, isn’t it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't want to spoil anything at the beginning with something sappy since it was short, but here we are. This is the end of a Valkyrie's Game. I might go back and make some revisions later on, but as of now, I believe I'm done with this fic in particular. Final count? 172 Google Doc pages, 76,468 in-document words, and a whole fuck ton of love from everyone in this section of the fandom. Thank you guys for the help encouraging me to complete this fic. Its been a very fun ride and I hope everyone doesn't mind the lore I've created for these two and put on the table. This isn't the end for their universe, just the end of how they met. 
> 
> Thanks to all who stuck around long enough to see the end. Thank you for those who joined along the way and I'm so glad I got to develop a new, better style along the way. I couldn't have done any of this without any of you guys, and I hope you enjoyed A Valkyrie's Game! I’ll be starting on the next one soon, with Hana’s parents being part. It’ll be one strange slice of life I hope y’all are ready for.
> 
> EDIT! 8/3/18 - [Here's a link for a HanaMercy discord server!](https://an-angels-song.tumblr.com/post/176259921912/new-blog-new-server) [and a blog for another one!](https://hanamercy.tumblr.com/) I'm in both, so feel free to join one, the other, or both! The first is a new one, while the second is one that is over a year old. I'd love to see you guys!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [5 Times Somebody Crushes on Angela Ziegler and She's Flattered, Really, Thank You](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15659436) by [helo572](https://archiveofourown.org/users/helo572/pseuds/helo572)




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